Divided We Fall Part 2: War on the Horizon
by More Than I Appear
Summary: A week has passed since the episode with the dream youkai and now Sesshomaru needs their help. A threat that Sesshomaru couldn't deal with alone? What is this army that has already conquered the Southern Kingdom that now threatens the Western Lands?
1. Catching up

            Alright; this is the sequel to Sick Days- if you haven't read Sick Days, you are going to be absolutely positively lost. No way around it. For those of you who are continuation readers ::cheers and bows:: thank you very much for joining my in the rest of the story. This part is laying foundation so bear with me- I'm in new territory and praying I don't sink. This time Sesshomaru plays more of a role and for all intents and purposes, let's pretend that Sesshomaru looks like his anime counterpart- not the manga. I'm trying to keep his personality…::sighs:: Anyway! Hang on tight, this is gonna move fast! Enjoy everyone!            

                Divided We Fall Part 2: War on the Horizon

                        War on the Horizon

Inu Yasha led the party through the unfamiliar terrain. Behind him, Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kagome picked their way through the path the hanyou made, dodging low branches and walking carefully over tree roots. The little band had been trooping around the country side for the past three days, all in search of Shikon shards. So far, their hunt had been fruitless. No rumors of shards, no stories of rampaging youkai had reached them, nothing. Zip. Zero. Zilch. The only thing they had to show for their efforts was sore feet. Moral was extremely low.

    "Inu Yasha, can't we stop?" Kagome called. She had been holding her own the entire trip, lugging the huge ruckasack she packed all her gear in everywhere without complaint. She and Inu Yasha had barely spoken together, each 'conversation' ending on a sour note with matching tempers. The dark haired girl was surprised at this; considering how odd the days prior to the trip had been- and since Kagome had had nothing but oddness in her life for the past year or so, said days had to be in the deep end of 'odd'- Kagome had thought that Inu Yasha would have been talking to her more. Preoccupied with that unhappy thought, she missed the root in front of her and tripped, landing painfully on her face and knees. 

    The hanyou heard Kagome fall and it took more self control than was pretty not to run to her side and help her. Inu Yasha didn't trust himself around the girl lately- every time he touched her- was near her- he wanted to hug her, to kiss her,  to _touch her in very not okay ways; all the while knowing she'd let him without understanding why. When he wanted to sleep was the worst; with Kagome below or near by, he wanted to curl up with her under her sleeping bag, or possibly sneak off to the hot springs together… He felt his lips twitch as they tried to form that damn goofy grin he'd been catching himself doing every time he entertained his fantasies. When Inu Yasha did sleep, it was awful. Memories- if that was the correct word- flooded his dreams, memories of her body, of her scent. The feel of her skin against his, her body moving in time to his thrusts-God anymore of it and the hanyou felt as if he would explode! In defense, his anger had appeared and he had become a __very grouchy hanyou, snapping at people and repressing any affection for Kagome. _

    Kagome reappeared, standing painfully with a hand from Sango. Shippo hopped onto her shoulder, said something that made Kagome laugh and step over the offending root. Inu Yasha stood still as stone, frowning as he watched the kitsune and girl. He caught the scent of blood and looked Kagome over critically- she had a shallow scrape on her chin and cuts on her knees. She winced slightly when she walked but didn't complain. 

    "We'll stop here for a few minutes to rest," Inu Yasha snarled. "We'll never make it anywhere with Kagome limping around." The last had a bite to it that made Kagome frown angrily. 

    "Well thank you, your highness." She snapped at him. "I'm _so thankful you granted us permission!" _

    "Feh!" Inu Yasha jumped into a tree and soon disappeared from view amongst the leafy canopy. The others watched him go and found an area to rest in while Kagome cleaned her wounds. Miroku bandaged her knees with gauze from her med kit and put a Band Aid on her chin. Shippo kissed the bandage lightly and then sat on the floor blushing. The humans stared at him a second and then Kagome laughed. 

    "A kiss to ease the pain, huh?" Kagome picked the boy up, ruffling his hair and running her hand through the soft fur of his tail. 

                "Something my mom used to do." Shippo muttered, embarrassed but enjoying the petting. 

    "My dad use to do it too when I was little." Kagome said, trying to explain it so Sango and Miroku would understand. "Whenever I came home from school or playing with a scrape, my father would put a Band-Aid on it and kiss it to make me feel better. 'A kiss to take the pain away.'" The priest and demon exterminator nodded, now understanding the concept. 

They smiled and in the peaceful moment that followed, Inu Yasha decided to come back to ruin it. "Come on- there's a village up ahead and we can ask the locals if anything strange is about." He took off at a faster pace. With a groan everyone got up and hurried after his retreating form.

    My feet were so sore I was ready to drop by the time we settled down for the night. We were in the house of a very grateful lord- Miroku had worked his magic and 'banished' a dark cloud hanging over the mansion. I laid out my sleeping bag, Sango doing the same with a barrowed futon, and changed into my pajamas. The boys were in another room waiting for the all clear sign from us girls. While traveling, we always slept within easy reach of each other- too many enemies in the Warring States period could sneak up on you otherwise. It was an annoyance but also had a comforting effect to it- on one hand, there was no privacy, on the other however, there was always someone to watch your back and keep you safe. It was a trade off like everything else.

    Sango and I called the boys in when we were ready, settling down under the covers for the night. Shippo crawled in after me and I hugged him loosely against my chest, listening as Miroku and Inu Yasha settled down. I curled up and one hand left Shippo to massage my feet under my covers; lying down had eased the pain but now they were aching and I didn't know which was worse. I lay awake in the darkness, night sounds all around me and couldn't sleep. The most irritating thing was that I couldn't wait to go to sleep; I had to check in with a friend and I could only talk to him in a dream.

        Shippo fell asleep and rolled over, moving away from me and resettling by my head. With him gone, I moved onto my back, sighing as I stared at the ceiling. I began counting the tiles, figuring that I'd bore myself to sleep if all else failed. For the past two or three nights, I hadn't seen Taomaru in my dreams but that didn't mean he wasn't around. Even though he hadn't appeared, I knew he was living up to his word and patrolling my dreams for any signs of the dream youkai that we had fought while I had been sick. 

To make a long, mostly unrememberable, story short, about a week ago I got sick and then Inu Yasha had gotten sick when he had become human. A dream eating youkai had found its way into my dreams, causing horrible nightmares that scared me silly. The dream youkai had then gotten into Inu Yasha's dreams and attacked him while I met Taomaru- a wolf dog youkai I had inadvertently dragged into the fight- and figured out what was going on. Along the way we ran into Sesshomaru, of all people, and then I had had to deal with a lust driven Inu Yasha in reality- Confused? Yah, same here. In the end, we had won though, and life had returned to normal- or as normal as it ever got. Because we didn't know if the youkai was alive or dead, Taomaru had volunteered to keep an eye out for her in my dreams and warm me if the bitch was in the area.

    I felt my eyelids drift shut and my mind become foggy as it drifted off to sleep. I needed to talk to Taomaru and I could only think of one way to guarantee an encounter. Dreams were fickle things- there were so many theories surrounding them that no one knew what caused their subject matter. The common assumption was that the last thing you saw or thought would dictate the contents of your dreams.  "Taomaru." I whispered, just a breath above silence as I fell asleep.

    I opened my eyes and was in a balcony overlooking a forest landscape. I smiled, breathing in the fresh air as I leaned against the railing, enjoying the sights and sounds below. I heard someone settle beside me, their arm brushing mine as they too looked at the view.

    "Hi Taomaru!" I said, turning to look at him and smile. "Nice to see you again." The youkai smiled down at me, his bronze eyes lavender tinted. He was human- or as human as any youkai could get- except for his ears which were wolf-like and sat near the top of his head. His slender tail snaked around and curled around my waist; his version of a friendly hug. The first time I had met him he'd been in a form between human and wolf, walking around in a pair of baggy boxers. Today he wore a rather casual kimono, forest green with a pale bronze belt and decorations. The design on his sleeve was like the one Sesshomaru had on his sleeves and reminded me of the similarity between the two.

    "Hello Kagome," he said. "How are you tonight?" His voice had an edge to it, not sadness or loneliness but somewhere in between.  As I looked on, the lavender tint in his eyes was replaced by gray.  He blinked and looked out at the landscape again. 

    I blinked. "I came to say hello." I paused and took his arm, squeezing it briefly before loosening my hold. "What's wrong? Why so depressed?"

    He started and when he looked at me his eyes had highlights of orange. He opened his mouth, closed it, and blinked. "Depressed? How?" He pulled away from me, looking unsure. "I am not depressed." He said flatly.

    "And I'm the queen of Sheba." I took his arm, pulling him back inside the castle and into the room the balcony was attached to. "Come on, big guy, you can tell me." I hadn't planned on having to stroke his ego but I owed him one so a little ego stroking would be forgiven.  After all, I wanted him to smile, not be sad. 

    He sighed, a long breath of air he must have been holding. "How is it that you can read me so well after knowing me for so short an amount of time?" 

    I shrugged. "Talent. Now tell me what's wrong." I gave him a quick hug and sat down on a pile of cushions that stood nearby. Taomaru joined me, sinking into a soft downy pillow. His shoulders slumped and he looked as if someone had stepped on his puppy; an interesting metaphor considering who I was talking to.

    "I am wondering if I'll ever wake up." He said after a minute of silence. The youkai promptly keeled to one side and fell onto more pillows. His face was turned toward me as the rest of him laid fell backward to lie on his back. 

    "Wake up? What do you mean wake up?" I asked, confused. Wondering if he'll ever wake up? But, everyone woke up from a dream eventually, didn't they? You couldn't not wake up unless you went to sleep and died. I felt my eyes widen at the thought. "You aren't dead are you?" I asked, shocked.

    "What? No! I'm not dead." He snorted and looked at the ceiling. "I am very much alive, sort of- just not awake."

    "You're alive but sleeping?" I frowned. "Why are you sleeping so long?" 

    Taomaru smiled but he didn't seem happy. "A story for another time perhaps. Tell me, Kagome, how did Inu Yasha react when you returned to his time?"

    My brain stalled at the sudden switch of subjects but I finally answered. "He and I haven't had a decent conversation the entire trip. Before you ask, we haven't talked about the dream mesh or dream eater youkai. When I returned I found out that everyone had paid a visit while I was sick and found Inu Yasha and I sleeping together." I blushed a bit and sighed heavily.

    "Uh oh; what happened afterward?" 

    "I came back to find a very angry hanyou, who wouldn't come near me, trying to kill Shippo. The latter had been teasing and yelling at Inu Yasha all morning and night apparently. Combine that with light teasing from Sango, Miroku, and Myoga and you get a homicidal hanyou." I sighed again. "I had to talk to them all while Inu Yasha went to cool off and ask them not to tease him anymore. Thankfully, they all agreed and haven't said anything since." Secretly I was waiting for one of them to get angry and bring it up to set Inu Yasha off. So far, only he and I seemed unable to get along though I have no idea why. I had to admit, even if it was just to myself, that it hurt that he wouldn't touch me or talk civilly with me. "You would think that after everything that happened, he would have been more kind."

    Taomaru tapped my nose and brought me back to the dream. "Ouch." He said, smiling. "Rough time for you huh?"

"No kidding. He doesn't remember and I guess it's good I don't remember when awake either- otherwise I'd probably kill him." I sighed. "That reminds me; you said to end the dream mesh we all had to be back in our personal dreams. How did you find Sesshomaru's when you've never met him?" 

    "He led me. We actually went back to the castle the youkai and I fought in and went out to the backyard. There was a huge garden there and he simply wandered out into it. A little girl popped out of no where and latched onto him. I was forgotten and they went off to play hide and seek, I think."

    "The little girl was Rin, I bet. Did she have dark hair, about five or six years old?" Taomaru nodded.

    I grinned. "Yah, that's Rin. So Sesshomaru went back to his dream, you found yours and Inu and I were in ours… But what I can't figure out is why Sesshomaru was there at all. I mean, he and I have a bad relationship- mainly because he tries to kill his half brother whenever they meet. Why would he be there and helping us?" 

    "Been on your mind a while, has it?" Taomaru sat up, moving slowly as if it hurt. "Well, I hold no sure answers- just possibilities. It is possible that it was just a fluke, a one time thing that you'll never see again. It is possible that some part of Sesshomaru's personality is linked to you through Inu Yasha and can sense when you're in danger. The last could make him more emotional and prone to giving into those feelings." Taomaru shrugged. "I have no idea."

    I felt myself begin to wake up and the dream wavered. "Got to go. I expect a story tomorrow and an explanation." I looked at him steadily, meeting his bronze eyes with no problem. He blinked and nodded, showing me he understood. I leaned forward and kissed his forehead lightly as I woke up. I expected to open my eyes and see the room I fell asleep in, the others spread out on the floor. What I got was my candle lit bedroom. 


	2. Two dogs, one hanyou, a few strange scen...

::is leaning against a large sign that reads, 'Inu Yasha and Co. do NOT belong to me:: Okay everybody! Here's the second chapter. I'm going to try and put up a new one ever two or three days (one a week minimum). At the moment I'm writing the rest of this story and it's taking a while because I'm juggling school (Ah! Biology,  math and history- oh my!), and simply due to the sheer complexity of the story. That's the main reason- I have to constantly flip back and forth between parts to make sure everything matches up! An early warning, aside from language, War on the horizon is pretty tame but all the gloves come off on its follower. Because everything that happens adds more to the story- and usually shows up later- all of it is important to varying degrees; there is no kid version and, like I said, out of all of them, WotH is the tamest (and its rated R!).  Now that I'm done scaring you all, lets continue.

    Divided We Fall Part 2: Two dogs, one hanyou, a few strange scents, and a partridge in a part tree.

What the hell? I looked around surprised to find myself here again. Since the night it happened, I hadn't dreamt about it again. That isn't to say I hadn't thought about it- or what I could remember- during my waking hours. So it took me by surprise to watch Inu Yasha and me 'getting it on' on my bed again. I scratched my head as I watched them- us- enjoy each other. I looked to my right and saw Inu Yasha- another one- watching from his perch outside my window. He didn't acknowledge me at all, just watched the pair of us on the bed. There was something on his face, a wanting look that was almost heart breaking. I blinked again and tried to look at the scene objectively. 

    Both of us were here watching the same scene. I was inside the room and felt only a faint stirring of the desire I had felt then. Inu Yasha however was outside the room, looking as if he wanted to bust through the glass and replace the lust driven hanyou on the bed. Something was preventing the Inu Yasha outside from indulging in the fantasy and I knew it had to be more than the flimsy glass window he looked through. I frowned and walked over to the window, blocking the view of the couple on the bed. Inu Yasha blinked and started, looking at me in surprise as if I had appeared out of thin air. 

    "If you want to join in so badly, why don't you just open the window?" I asked.

    I heard the two behind me scream each other's name and the Inu Yasha on the branch refocused on the noise. I sighed and opened the window, peeking out and looking him in the eyes. "Now it's open. No more excuses." I stepped back and waited for the timid hanyou to react. 

    "You aren't afraid?" he asked at length. He looked at me anxiously, begging an answer I didn't understand.

    "Afraid of what?" And I reached a hand toward him, offering to help him climb inside.

    "Of me." He reached out tentatively to take my hand, eyes on my face for any indication of apprehension. I didn't know what to say to that so I just waited to take his hand and pull him inside.

    "Kagome! Wake up!" The voice speared through the dream, puncturing it like a balloon. I could practically hear the remains whizzing around as the dream deflated and I woke up. I rubbed at my eyes, chasing the sleep away. I groaned- I felt as if I hadn't slept at all. Damn.

    "Shippo, why are you so perky?" I yawned and stumbled over my bag for clothing and morning supplies. I forgot my dream as I got dressed and ready for the days hike. 

    "You and Inu Yasha both!' Shippo said as he hung onto my shoulder while I finished brushing my teeth. I muttered a 'hm?' and spit. "You're both so hard to wake up lately! Ever since-" He was silenced by my finger to his lips. I turned my head to look at him while I wiped my mouth on a towel I'd brought. "Sorry." Shippo said, looking guilty.

    "That's ok." I said and withdrew my hand. "Talking about it to me is not a problem, however if you start bringing it up so casually like you just did, you'll do it with Inu Yasha." I still had to tell them all about Taomaru but with no evidence or co-obberation I was afraid they might begin to think I was nuts. 

    "That would be bad." The kitsune said grimly as he no doubt remembered nearly being bludgeoned with a boulder. I nodded and went to find the others. 

    We hiked all day and found nothing. Again. With moral extremely low and the weather getting colder as winter tapped its icy fingers on the world, we all began the long walk home. During the entire trip, Inu Yasha did not talk to me. When we made it to the well I bid everyone good by and jumped in with out hesitation, sitting Inu Yasha when he decided that I couldn't leave.  I crawled out of the well into my time, glad to be back home and looking forward to a well deserved bath. 

    "I'm home!" I yelled as I left the well house. I heard barking and a yell and then found myself falling through the air.

    The Warring States.

    It did not go unnoticed by any of the remaining group that Inu Yasha's behavior changed while Kagome was away. The hanyou was irritable to the point that he snarled if you even approached his tree. He would not come down, would not be civil with anyone when they tried to talk to him. Even Myoga did not go unscathed- the squashed little flea was found by Shippo at the base of the tree on the second day of Kagome's absence. 

    It did no good to ask Inu Yasha what was wrong with him; the hanyou didn't know. Only a small portion of his brain registered that his behavior had changed at all, that he had become more irritable and violent. Inu Yasha couldn't sleep, barely ate, and couldn't concentrate on anything while Kagome was gone. All his thoughts revolved around the missing girl, more often straying to the dream he had had a few days ago, before they had returned. 

    Now, Inu Yasha was a rather long stone's throw from knowing much about psychology- he had a better chance of graduating from a Home Economics class as the best chef. He didn't know much about dreaming and when he had bothered to ask Myoga about it, the smaller demon had replied that other people appear in your dreams because they sneak into them. The flea had then told him that some dreams can seem so real they can slip over into the waking world. Thoroughly disgusted with the useless information, Inu Yasha had squashed Myoga and flicked him away. What garbage. What nonsense. Still, what Myoga had said about dreams nagged at Inu Yasha, the words refusing to leave him alone. So until Kagome returned, the hanyou stewed in his thoughts and reviewing his dream, thinking heavily about Kagome until he wanted to scream with frustration- the only one he could possibly get some help from was Kagome and this was one thing he would _not talk to her about. Before the sun rose on the fifth day, Inu Yasha had reached his limit and couldn't take it anymore. He sped to the well, leaping inside it before anyone could stop him. _

    The hanyou strode purposely out of the well house towards the two story house Kagome lived in. As he walked he caught two new scents. One was delectable and slightly familiar; enticing and teasing his nose, making him salivate slightly in anticipation of finding the source. The other was completely new and musky; the scent of a large animal that had been running around for the past week. It made Inu Yasha growl and want to wipe the scent away and replace it with his own. He leapt up onto the branch that hung outside Kagome's window easily. He had every intention of climbing through the window and demanding what was going on when his sensitive nose caught that wonderful scent again.

    He eased open the window, sniffing delicately and swallowing. He had to find Kagome and find out where that smell was coming from or he'd be unable to think. His thoughts were cut short by a sudden volley of barking, loud sharp sounds that were like ice picks stabbing through his eardrums. _What the hell is that? Inu Yasha thought, putting his hands over his ears. With the glass gone, he could smell a third unfamiliar scent that only made him more anxious to find the source. Something thumped against Kagome's bedroom door, scratching and whining to get in. _

    _A…dog? Inu Yasha blinked and crawled through the window. He couldn't hear anything except barking, the sound being echoed downstairs. __Two dogs? __Why did Kagome suddenly have two dogs? He inhaled again and felt his thought process slow. He breathed deeply, long slow breath that made a sappy smile appear on his face. The dog mystery suddenly wasn't so important; in fact, Inu Yasha felt pretty good as he sat on Kagome's bed. He wanted to lie down and snuggle up to someone warm, to kiss and cuddle his mate… Unbidden, his thoughts turned toward Kagome. He spied a pile of clothes on the floor and picked up a shirt, sniffing it and holding the cloth close. It smelled like Kagome, like her gentle scent, but it also was one of the sources of the strange scents that were making his blood heat and his mind relax and also bothering him. _

    He heard the barking quiet and someone's soothing voice talking to the strange dogs. He heard all three come into the room and a giant bundle of white leapt on the bed and began sniffing at him. Inu Yasha watched Kagome start in surprise when she saw him. She grabbed hold of the collar of the dog beside her, holding it beside her and not letting it jump onto the bed also. Both dogs were large, stopping a hairs breath from Kagome's waist. Both were white and heavily muscled. Unconcerned, Inu Yasha merely smiled a dopey smile, and held out a hand to her.

    I was dressed in my uniform and ready for school. When the dogs started barking I knew immediately who had shown up. It was irritating; I mean, he knew I'd be back when I was done so why was he here now? Maybe he was here to apologize? Nah. I shook my head as I quieted Duchess beside me and climbed the stairs. That would be hoping for too much from Inu Yasha. I met Socrates at the door to my bedroom, wincing when I saw the damage he had caused to the wood. I stroked their big heads and soothed them, opening my door to see what was making them bark.

    Predictably, there was Inu Yasha. He lay on my bed, sniffing the shirt I had taken off yesterday and been too lazy to put in the hamper. When he saw me he smiled, his grin askew and his eyes dark gold. What the hell? Socrates got by me and jumped onto the bed, sniffing Inu Yasha from head to toe. I took hold of Duchess before she could follow suit. When Inu Yasha held out his hand to me, to join him on the bed, I didn't know what to do.

    After a minute, the hanyou got up and walked toward me. He still held my shirt, letting it dangle from one hand as he left the bed. "Kagome…" The way he said my name made me blink and a shiver run up my spine. I frowned when he stood before me, looking down at me with that dopey smile. Duchess growled beside me and I stroked her head until she calmed. She sniffed at the hanyou and I released her, letting the dog continue her investigation of Inu Yasha. 

    Meanwhile, I put a hand to Inu Yasha's forehead, checking for a fever. "What's wrong with you?" I asked and took the shirt from him, throwing it back on the floor. He caught my hand by the wrist, bringing the palm to his nose. He sniffed at me delicately, his eyes glazing slightly, and then pulled me against him. He nuzzled my neck, sniffing at my skin. I felt gooseflesh rise along his path and my heart fluttered. I pulled my hand away and stepped away from him. "I don't know what your problem is Inu Yasha but I'm late. I'll be back this afternoon so you can stop acting so weird." His ears drooped and I had to resist petting them. He blinked, his eyes refocusing, and licked his lips. I left my room before the morning got any stranger and the dogs padded after me.  

                I locked the dogs inside the temporary enclosure Mom and Sota had created while I had been away and piled in the dog toys. I checked the water and food dishes, petted the great canines one last time and set off for school. Large soulful eyes followed me and I wished they wouldn't look at me like I was abandoning them- it made me feel guilty. Before I left I caught Inu Yasha leaving my room via the window and looking a little bewildered. Whatever; I didn't have time for his bizarre jokes. I had an English exam today and was really not looking forward to it. I jogged down the Shrine steps and sped off for school.


	3. Hojo's Fan Club

Chapter 3: Hojo's fan club

    Back at Kagome's.

    Inu Yasha watched the two dogs as they watched him. He sat outside their enclosure and peered at them through the fence. He frowned, wondering again why Kagome had two very large dogs. Now that he was outside of her room and away from the more concentrated area of the strange smell, he was thinking more clearly; though when he paused in his thoughts he felt himself smile that dopey grin again. 

    The two dogs played, occasionally coming to the fence to sniff or growl at him before resuming their play fights. One was male and the other female, both members of different breeds that the hanyou was positive weren't native to Japan. They were too furry, too heavily muscled, and too damn big. No; they weren't from Japan. Inu Yasha sniffed, ignoring the musk from the two new animals and tried to determine who else was here. Even if everyone had left for the day, there should be traces of them in the area.

    His frown deepened as he analyzed the air. He turned his back on the two dogs, breathing in slow and deep, flaring his nostrils to catch everything. His ears twitched when he heard the dogs sit behind him. Inu Yasha let out the breath he held. No denying it- Kagome and the dogs were the only prominent scents. Mrs. Higurashi had been here too but fleetingly, as if she had stopped by several times to get some forgotten item and then left again. Kagome's Grandfather was there, but old- very old. The last two had not been by at all. The whole thing was extremely odd. 

    The one thing that annoyed the hanyou the most, however, had nothing to do with the family's absence. It had everything to do with how he had handled himself this morning- or his _lack of handling to be more accurate. The delicious odor had completely derailed his mind; it was like a drug, mellowing him out but at the same time making his blood heat. While in Kagome's room, holding the shirt that the scent had been coming from, all he wanted was to curl up with Kagome while they watched a movie or ate or read one of her textbooks- anything would have been fine as long as he got to touch her. In the end, he had only weirded Kagome out and she had slipped off to school for the day- nothing to be done about it now. If he went after her and dragged her back she's only yell and scream until he let her go._

    Inu Yasha had originally thought that the scent was coming from the school girl. When he got near her though, he could only find very faint traces of it and those could have been just his over-stimulated nose stalling. Kagome had smelled good- she always smelled good, especially after a bath of shower- but she wasn't the origin of the scent. He turned around, holding out his hand to the dogs to let them smell him. "So, the scent has something to do with her, but at the same time doesn't." _Err… This is confusing. The dogs allowed him to pet them and he thanked them by scratching their favorite spots. _

He picked up a ball and began tossing it, letting the dogs fetch it and repeating the process when they gave it to him. He stood there playing fetch with them for a while- almost forty five minutes- before realizing he had other things to do. Their tails wagging, Inu Yasha said good bye to the two dogs and hopped through the well.  _Duchess and Socrates… He grimaced. __ What stupid names. _

I wasn't paying attention to where I was going as I hurried home as fast as I could go. I had passed my English exam- it had been two quizzes in reality; one quiz on the English language and the other a quiz with questions about a story we had had to read over the past weekend. Luckily I had remembered what I had read while I was sick and had passed with an A. As far as the language one went, I just hoped I'd gotten a B or higher; though I spoke the language decently, for some reason reading it was harder. It had been my turn to do clean up duty- which I'd forgotten about- and it was now late afternoon. Inu Yasha was going to kill me. To top it off, Hojo had asked me to go out with him again and my brain had stalled on a polite way to refuse. It took several minutes of apologizing, and making up excuses on the fly and then slight coughing when he got stubborn, but I managed to get away from him. I did suggest he ask one of his fan club, though; just to be nice. There were so many girls shooting glares at me after I suggested it my skin crawled- as if suggesting that one of them would be a better date was such a horrible thing. Jeeze, I'll never understand those idiots.

The sunset lit the street but cast most of it in shadow and until they were right on top of me, I didn't notice the dark figures detach themselves from the shadows. When I realized that I was surrounded, I stopped, planting my feet apart for a wider base. These people were up to no good- after all, since when has anyone ever had a positive encounter with suspicious people hiding in the shadows and then surrounding them? Exactly- no one. So I took a more aggressive stance and tried to figure out what was going on. 

I had never been in a fight before- not in my time anyway- so this was a little new. I wasn't intimidated by these people though –wow; facing blood thirsty youkai in a fight does have a positive side- and I wasn't stupid. I'd hear them out, reason with them and go home. If that failed, well, there was too many of them to simply run away from or defeat so I'd just have to inflict as much damage as possible. Inside I was annoyed; I had a perfect record- not one fight or blemish- and now some idiots were going to ruin it! There better be a good reason behind all of this.

"What do you want?" I asked, making my voice carry and my tone show my annoyance. I think they were surprised that I wasn't quaking with fear- it seemed to take the wind out of their sails. They looked unsure as they looked me over. The street lights clicked on, startling everyone for a second. Now I could see who I was up against and felt better as well as annoyed.

I was surrounded by seven or eight of the girls from Hojo's fan club. I frowned, truly unimpressed. Some were in school uniforms, some were in casual clothing but those clothes were meant to intimidate: high heels and hiking boots, black pants or skirts. The whole bad-ass vibe was with them. Some of the clothing was studded with metal spikes or stars- just that added extra that would inflict damage even if you hit like a girl. I risked a glance behind me- the total was eight, damn it and the street was completely deserted except for us. There was never a cop around when you needed one.

"We're here to teach you a lesson!" The girl in front of me said.

"That you can't keep playing with Hojo-kun's heart!" said someone behind me. That cry was met with "Yay!" and "Right on!" Oh goody- stupid idiots all on a power trip.

I sighed. "Look ladies. I am really late for something important and don't have time for this crap!" I held my head high and shouted, "Now get out of my way!" Secretly I hoped they'd all just pout and leave me be but they only glared harder.

"Bitch!" one screeched on my left.

"You have a date, don't you?" demanded another.

"You dare brush Hojo-kun off to go on a date with some one else?" The girl in front of me cried. "You have no boyfriend, you tease!"

I could feel the veins in my forehead stick up. I ground my teeth, getting extremely angry. "You little…!" I couldn't think of a word bad enough to describe her. 

"If you have a date, then we're going to make sure you look your best!" Some one on my right said. I didn't like the sound of that- somehow I think my version of looking my best and their version of me looking my best would differ. Greatly.

I opened my mouth to snap at her and got shoved from behind. Off balance, I tottered forward and saw the leader of this band of pissed misfits pull back her foot. I crossed my arms in front of my face and blocked just in time. Her hiking boot slammed into my arms, making them hurt and bleed from small scrapes. Right. If I had to face them I had better start swinging. I grabbed her boot when she tried again and pulled her forward. She flailed her arms, looking surprised, and tried to regain her balance. I twisted her ankle and her leg followed; she pulled down the girls on either side of her when she fell.

I spun around, keeping low to the ground and kicked the feet out from under two other girls. I rushed a girl behind me, taking her in the middle with an elbow and sending her to the ground. I got to my feet and felt someone's fist slam into my ribs. I hunched over, arms together in front of me, forearms up , hands in fists.  If I left my face and chest open, they could drop me with a few well placed hits. They attacked as best they could but my defense was too good. When it became obvious that they couldn't get to my upper body, they targeted my legs. 

If they could get me on the ground, I was toast; in a kicking fight there was no defense against the damage their feet could cause. I felt someone try to jam their high heel into my knee and felt the Band Aid covering the scraps get ripped away. The pain was sharp and immediate, the blood trickling down my leg. I could still use my knee and it hadn't crumbled under my weight so the girl couldn't have punctured the skin- sliced it up more but not punctured beyond repair. If they kept aiming though, one would eventually get the hit right. Considering that they just wanted to rough me up, they were taking this to the extreme. To have this much anger over something so small was ridiculous. 

Through my arms I could see one girl's face come with in range of my fist and I lashed out. I jabbed and hit her chin, knocking her head back. I couldn't get enough power in the hit because I was still trying to defend myself but it was enough to make her back up. I shifted my weight to my good legs and hit her in the stomach with my foot. This time I had the aim and force on my side and she tumbled to the ground. I repeated it with another girl, using my foot first then using my fist. However, no matter how much I hit they kept popping back up; there was always another girl to take the fallen one's place. 

"Bitch!" Oh, goody; the leader of this pack of idiots had decided to join the party again. The others backed off until I could see her. Some got in a few more licks before she called them off; one girl hit my side over my kidneys and another landed a shot on my jaw. "You handle yourself better than I though you would." Translation: For being such a good girl, such a sick girl, we didn't think you'd put such a fight.  My blood boiled in my veins as my anger reached a new peak. I felt my power, the magic that slept inside of me, wake and uncurl. My anger fed it, making it stronger. 

"I'll tell you what, Higurashi." The girl drawled, confident in her power and security. "How about you and I face off?"

"Depends," I panted. "Will it solve anything?" If I had to do this day in and day out, there was no way I'd be able to handle it. The girl seemed confused and then the meaning sunk home. 

"If I win, you will tell Hojo you hate him and to leave you alone." She licked her lips, no doubt imaging herself in Hojo's arms when I was 'out of the way.'

Well that was harsh- I didn't hate anyone except Naraku. "And if I win?"

"What do you want?" I wanted to smack that superior smirk off her face so badly I clenched my hands to suppress the urge. She hadn't given any thought to my winning.

"You leave me the _fuck alone! No more of jumping me while I walk home and no more of fighting me over Hojo." I didn't no why I was so angry that they were trying to take Hojo from me- hell, he wasn't mine- but it did just the same and I wasn't going to let them have him. I think part of it was this girl's nature; I was worried about what Hojo would become if he dated this vindictive bitch._

"Deal." She smiled and rushed me. 


	4. Kagome the fighter- "you can't protect m...

Ch 4:  Kagome the fighter- "You can't protect me all the time Inu Yasha."

Okay, just a quick note- everyone knows by now that if the point of view changes to first person (I did this, etc. ) then it's Kagome right? If you don't then it's from Kagome's point of view. Anyway, thank you for your encouraging reviews- please keep them coming if you have the time. I also welcome emails if there is a point of confusion, and will be happy to chat via IM. :::Leans against the sign that states in big letters 'IUN YASHA AND CO. DO NOT BELONG TO ME!':::If you find this part lags a bit, please be patient- this is laying a lot of foundation for part 3 and you have to wade through this first. 

Back at the Shrine.

Inu Yasha had retuned to Kagome's shrine to wait for her.  The sunlight was almost gone and Kagome hadn't shown up yet. The hanyou played with the dogs, noting that they also noticed Kagome's absence. Duchess whined at Inu Yasha and Socrates barked to be let out. The hanyou felt uneasy, unsettled, that Kagome wasn't here yet. He had checked her room and the entire grounds when he had found nothing. The only scent he detected was the fresh scent of Kagome's mother; another brief visit before leaving, hours earlier. 

About to go hunt her down, Inu Yasha took a running jump into the air. He heard the dogs get out behind him and nearly fell out of the sky. _Shit. Inu Yasha landed by the top of the steps just as the dogs bounded down the incline. "No! Come back!" The hanyou ran down a few steps before he saw that the dogs had stopped and were enthusiastically greeting a familiar dark haired figure.  He ran down the rest of the steps, stopping by the trio. Both dogs were whining and licking Kagome, the girl on one knee on the ground. She was almost completely hidden by the big bundles of white fur; only her dark hair marked her position from above. _

"Kagome?" Inu Yasha asked when she didn't acknowledge his presence. He heard her sigh and she stood, the dogs rubbing against her. The hanyou gasped, looking at Kagome's torn up state. She was bruised and her uniform torn up. Several gashes on her knees were bleeding, a cut above her eye doing the same. Her lower lip was swollen, a dark circle surrounding her left eye. She moved stiffly but she smiled at Inu Yasha as if nothing had happened.

"What… What happened to you?" he asked, voice soft as his eyes took in the damage. His ears were twitching madly, searching for any sign of an attack. The dogs were doing the same; both were alert, growling slightly, hackles raised to make them look bigger. In guard dog mode, the pair was pretty intimidating. No threat was present, no sign of an enemy anywhere. 

"Sorry I'm late, Inu Yasha." Kagome said, and she smiled again. "Would you believe I slipped?" In fact, no; Inu Yasha didn't believe it. He was about to say so when Kagome started up the steps, the dogs at her side. The hanyou ran after her, easily catching up to her. He was all set to interrogate her but saw the effort she was using to get up the steps. Inu Yasha lifted her easily, carrying her up the remaining steps and across the courtyard. Kagome unlocked her front door while Inu Yasha held her. The dogs barked and followed them up the flight of stairs that led to the second floor of the house. 

He took her to her room, set her on the bed and tore through her traveling bag until he found her first aid kit. Inu Yasha returned to the bed, sitting on the edge and laying out bandages. The dogs had joined the couple, laying down by Kagome's side and watching Inu Yasha intently. Socrates woofed softly, sniffing at the med kit and assorted items. Inu Yasha stood, eyeing the grit surrounding the gashes on Kagome's knees. He lifted Kagome again, startling the beaten girl in surprise.

 "What are you doing?" Kagome demanded as Inu Yasha carried her out of the room. The dogs barked and followed, Socrates growling. The hanyou pushed open the door to the bath room with his foot, walking into the room with a purpose. He held Kagome one handed and began running a bath for her. "What the hell are you doing Inu Yasha?" She tugged his ears to get an answer. The dogs, responding to the anger coming from the two, began barking. The sound echoed off the tiled walls to a deafening pitch. 

Inu Yasha turned on them with a snarl, dropping Kagome fully clothed into the warm bath water. Kagome screeched in surprise and both dogs started growling and snapping at the hanyou, trying to get past him and help Kagome. Behind him, the wet girl was swearing, trying to get up and slipping on the sides of the tub. The barking got worse and Inu Yasha had had it. 

"Enough!" Inu Yasha roared, a bass growl underlining the word. Kagome shut up as the pitch vibrated against her bones. The hanyou grabbed each dog by its muzzle, stopping the snarls and barking. As big and powerful as each dog was, neither could get away from Inu Yasha's strong grip. He growled threateningly again at the dogs, continuing until they whined. When they submitted, the hanyou pulled them out of the bathroom, walking backwards and leading them by their muzzles. Kagome watched as all three left the room, listening to the dogs whining pitifully. She heard a door slam nearby and then Inu Yasha walked back inside the bathroom again, closing the door behind him.

"You!" And he stabbed his finger at Kagome. "You take a bath and clean up those cuts! When you're done, I'll bandage them." Kagome opened her mouth to protest and Inu Yasha jabbed his finger at her again. "Wash yourself or I will." His tone broached no argument; Kagome knew he was serious.

Damn him! There was no way I could get him to leave, even after sitting him multiple times. The hanyou simply pealed himself off the floor, dumped me back into the tub (I had tried to leave the room) and then sat on the floor again, his back to me as he waited for me to finish. I sighed and his ears twitched toward me. "You peak you die, Inu Yasha." I grumbled and began stripping off my soaked uniform. I winced as I shed the ripped garments, a few times making small whimpering noises when cuts were reopened or bad bruises were pinched. I threw the ruined outfit into a corner and sank into the tub.  At long last I was naked in warm water, the heat soaking into my battered body. I ran more water, pouring bubble bath in for extra cover. Now that I was hidden completely I could relax and wash the grime away.

"This isn't a pleasure bath, wench." Inu Yasha snorted.

"The hell it isn't!" I replied, letting my head slip under the water. I tossed my hair, letting the liquid thoroughly coat the strands. I came back up for air, reaching for the shampoo as I checked the position of my guard; the hanyou was right where he should be, ears in my direction, head turned to the side. "Turn your head!" I ordered and watched him snap his head away. I began washing my hair, shampooing and rinsing it out then using the conditioner. I grabbed the soap and scrubbed my skin, sucking air through my teeth when I cleaned the assorted cuts, scrapes, and bruises that now colored my skin. 

"What happened to you?" Inu Yasha asked.

"Fell." I answered dispassionately. Now, why had I used such a lame excuse? The simple answer was that I didn't want to explain to Inu Yasha I had been in a fight. If I told him what had really happened, he would want to know the reason behind the fight and I didn't want to tell him that it was over dating rights to a boy I wasn't interested in. Now that I thought about it, the whole thing was pretty idiotic; I had fought for no real reason except that the girls had 1) pushed me into it and 2) because some part of me still held Hojo as a kind of back up in case Inu Yasha never accepted me as a girlfriend. 

"If you fell then I'm human." He snorted. 

I winced as I inspected my knee. "Once a month you _are human and the rest of the time you're half." I answered absently and heard him growl. "Ow!" I muttered as I brushed the grit away from the lips of the wound. "Owowowowowow!" I was close to tears by the time all the cuts were looked over and scrubbed clean. I pulled the chain for the stopper and the water began to drain away. I ran fresh warm water, cramming myself under it to make sure all the soap was gone. Normally I took a shower after a bath to get rid of all the suds but with Inu Yasha sitting nearby and unwilling to leave, there was no way I was getting out of this tub. _

"I need a towel." I said and heard my voice drag. Now that I was clean and warm and safe, all I wanted to do was sleep. The adrenaline that had fueled me during my endeavors and had given me the strength to walk home was ebbing away. I had no more reserves to fall back on- I was too tired to go make myself dinner. Hell, I didn't even have the energy to go to my bed; I was ready to just refill the tub again and sleep here. Soft cloth brushed my face and I blinked, taking the towel from Inu Yasha while making sure that his body was turned away. I turned off the water and stood, wrapping the fabric around my body. I stepped out, favoring the leg with the most damage. Inu Yasha paced me as I moved, no doubt ready to catch me if I fell over.

"I can walk Inu Yasha- I'm not hurt that badly!" I snapped and he backed off. I left the bathroom, hitting the light on the way out, and opened the door to my room. I was promptly sent sprawling on my butt as Socrates and Duchess rushed out and jumped on me. I was being licked and sniffed and pushed against in a matter of seconds. One of the dogs hit a bad bruise on my ribcage and I cried out. I petted them in thanks for their greeting and, nearly doubled over, went into my room. The dogs followed me, Duchess laying down on the bed and Socrates lying down on the floor. Their tails were wagging, furry white flags moving in their own wind. 

Inu Yasha came in and I told him to get out so I could dress. He only went over to the bed and sat on it, folding his arms and daring me silently to make him leave. "It'll save time if there's less clothing in the way." He said sensibly, a blush coloring his cheeks. I couldn't argue with his logic but I still wanted some clothes on before we treated the damage from my 'fall.' I took a step toward the bed, one hand pointing at the door. I opened my mouth to tell Inu Yasha to go to hell and my knee gave out on me. 

    I didn't know which one of us was more surprised in all honesty. I managed to keep my towel in place and tried to stand again with the same result. The only thing I got for my efforts was a lot of blood leaving my knee. I heard Inu Yasha leave the bed and stoop over to pick me up. I let him and sighed in defeat as he dropped me on the bed; no way was I getting up now. Duchess licked my face as Inu Yasha picked up the bandages. I felt like Humpty Dumpty, and all the kings' horses and all the kings men had to put me back together again. I pet Duchess to take my mind off the pain- Inu Yasha was using antiseptic and it _really didn't feel good._

    At some point during the process I began to relax enough to doze. Every time I caught myself napping I'd jerk awake and startle everyone on the bed. Steadily, Inu Yasha was moving cut by cut up my leg, being thorough and professional. I suppose that with all the fights Inu Yasha must have fought in his life time, he had to pick up some medical know how. He wasn't doing that bad, so engrossed in his work that he wasn't saying anything and that was great because I wasn't up for heavy conversation…. Did I mention I was tired? I guess using my powers was a bit more involving than I thought; a pay off for using it in the first place. I guess it really can't count as cheating since we were both using what we had at our disposal and for me that meant both magically and physically. 

    "Why are the dogs here?" Inu Yasha asked, voice distant. 

    I yawned. "We're dog sitting them for a friend of Sota's." I yawned again, blinking in the dim illumination. I realized the light wasn't on, that no lights were on anywhere. The moon was coming out but it didn't provide a lot of illumination. I blinked in the darkness, surprised that I could see so well. I shrugged to myself and winced immediately.

    "Then where's Sota?" Inu Yasha took hold of my arm and began mending it. 

    "Hospital." I answered absently and felt Inu Yasha stop. "He came down with tonsillitis after the dogs showed up and mom and Gramps have been with him since. I have to take care of the dogs by myself." Inu Yasha resumed and I realized that he probably didn't know what tonsillitis was. "Sota's having an operation to have his tonsils removed." 

    "What's a tonsil?" 

    I scratched at Duchess' ear with my free hand and gave the dog a sleepy smile. "Tonsils are glands in your throat. When they get infected they have to be removed." Socrates put his head by mine and I scratched his ears with my bandaged hand while Inu Yasha saw to the other one. 

    "What kind of dogs are these, anyway?"

    I blinked, catching myself napping again. Each time I fell asleep it was harder to wake up. "Duchess is a Kuvasz, a dog breed from Hungary. Socrates is a Great Pyrenees, a breed from France. Both breeds are used for guarding, herding, and hunting large game- that's why they're so big. It's colder in their native regions so they have a lot of fur. They are rescue dogs in training here." That was all I could remember at the moment. Inu Yasha touched my face and I looked at him, smiling as I felt my eye lids close. 

I tried to open them, couldn't and decided to give up. I let myself float in that place between true sleep and being awake. Floating was the appropriate term; to do more I had to choose where I wanted to be- asleep or awake. I realized that someone was talking to me, asking me questions about my day. Actually, there were two voices, both of which I recognized. They were both asking the same questions, blending into each other until they became one voice. 

"What happened?" and the voice was filled with concern. 

I answered truthfully; I was tired and just wanted some peace. "Got into a fight." Maybe if I answered them they'd go away.

"Must have been a hell of a fight!" and the voice was filled with laughter and surprise. I felt myself smile. "Stupid girls- jumped me after school. I was so late already. Inu Yasha was gonna kill me…"

"What was it about?" Curiosity.

"Personal." I muttered, my tone making it clear I would say no more.

"Did you win?" Mild interest.

"Yah," I answered softly. "I won. It hurt."

And here the voices separated, one simply disappearing, the other staying to ask a new question. "Where was Inu Yasha? He protects you, where was he?"

"Dunno." I replied, feeling myself sinking into slumber land. "Looking for me at the Shrine. He had to be so angry…I was late again…." I babbled and picked up the last part of the question. "Inu Yasha can't protect me all the time… He'd have to be with me all the time and he can't…too… dangerous…" I fell into a dreamless sleep, far away from the questions.


	5. Perfume and hanyous don't mix well

                Hmm... Going to take a minute to try and explain some problems in the last chapter. In the scene where Kagome is being bandaged by Inu Yasha and is half asleep, Taomaru and Inu Yasha are both asking her questions about what happened in the fight. Remember, Taomaru can pop up in her breams and can sense when things have happened- that, or be sheer coincidence, he was patrolling for the dream youkai (she's still lurking around somewhere) at the moment Kagome began to fall asleep. As Kagome voices her answers, Inu Yasha is listening, thinking that she is answering him (he doesn't remember the dream mesh) and his questions. Inu Yasha stops asking her questions but Taomaru doesn't, asking where Inu was. When Kagome replies, yes; she is speaking out loud and Inu Yasha does hear her answer.

                Okay, that should do it. Any other questions, send me an email. On a wonderful note, I have an editor who is helping me go through my stories. This helps immensely because now I can keep trying to finish it all! Yay Tel!!! Now, off we go!

Ch 5 Perfume and Hanyous don't mix well

Inu Yasha froze as Kagome answered his questions. Her voice was thick with fatigue and the hanyou knew she was almost completely asleep. Her head was resting over his shoulder, her body held against his. Inu Yasha had pulled her into his lap and against his chest when he still smelled blood leaking from somewhere. As soon as he got a view of her back he found the source. On a stroke of inspiration, he had started questioning her not really expecting an answer.

When she had answered him and he found out what had really happened, the hanyou could only sit in shock, holding Kagome and not knowing what to do. He finally laid her back on the bed, drawing the covers over her. As she turned on her side toward Duchess, the towel slipped and revealed a clear view of Kagome's body, the fabric pooling around her breasts and hiding her modesty. Inu Yasha didn't look away, allowing himself to indulge in the sight of her body. Even bruised and battered, she was still pretty. He touched her swollen lip, watched her pull away. She had a black eye but it was fading, invisible in the low light. 

He was done here, through for the evening. He had patched Kagome up and due to those injuries she was in no shape to go traipsing around the woods. Yes, Inu Yasha was through with his responsibilities, could now go home; the only problem was that he didn't want to leave. Kagome rolled over onto her stomach. "Dunno." She muttered suddenly and Inu Yasha's ears perched up. "Looking for me at the Shrine. He had to be so angry… I was late again." The hanyou blinked, wondering what question she was answering and where the question was coming from. On the last she looked serious and unhappy. "Inu Yasha can't protect me all the time…He'd have to be with me all the time and he can't… too… dangerous…" And then she shut up, finally asleep.

Inu Yasha really didn't want to leave her alone now, but he didn't look forward to the teasing he would get in the aftermath. When he returned tomorrow, Kagome would be with him- hopefully- and she would stop any teasing from the others. Well! That was settled. Or almost. Inu Yasha still had the nagging fear that he would hurt her while they were asleep. Unconsciously he looked at her neck, trying to see the spot that had greeted him the last time he woke up next to Kagome. Her shoulder and the way she was positioned blocked it from view. Besides, she had nothing on- there was no way he could lay beside her and get any sleep. Inu Yasha grabbed a spare pillow and flopped onto the floor beside Socrates. The dog looked at him, its head tilted to one side, ears raised. "Quiet you." Inu Yasha huffed. "It's only temporary." 

_He can't protect me all the time… What the hell did she mean he couldn't protect her all the time- he'd protected her from everything so far! Until now. The thought nagged at him. Kagome had been hurt by enemies and he hadn't been around to protect her. It was funny; Inu Yasha had always thought that any serious threat would come while they were in his time, in the Warring States. That notion was dissolving under this new evidence- Kagome's time just had more subtle, more dangerous enemies in some respects.  It was a disturbing revelation._

He sniffed and he caught the unidentified scent that had made him dopey earlier. It was stale now and didn't affect him as much as it had earlier; he had left Kagome's window open when he left earlier to air out the smell. There were still traces of the scent, enough to make him restless; wanting to do something but not knowing what. All right, maybe not knowing was spreading it a little thick; Inu Yasha knew _exactly what he wanted to do. And it had everything to do with the girl sleeping on the bed above him._

The hanyou growled, unable to sleep, and stood up. If he couldn't do what his body wanted, then maybe he could track down the source of his misery. He paced the room, hunting for the strongest concentration. As he neared Kagome's dresser, his blood felt hot and he began to feel pretty good- the irritating feeling from before. _It's here! It's got to be one of these damn bottles. He fumbled through the collection of decorative glass bottles. They were all shapes and sizes, making it difficult to get a good grip on any of them. Inu Yasha picked up a random bottle, the glass so smooth it kept slipping through his fingers. He nearly dropped it twice; the last time hitting the atomizer and getting sprayed full in the face._

As soon as the perfume was released, Inu Yasha knew he had found the source of his problems. He felt his nose shut down, so over stimulated that it couldn't handle it. He dropped the bottle and luckily it fell into an open clothes drawer. If the bottle had broken and the rest of the scent released, Inu Yasha didn't know what he would do. As if was he was having trouble concentrating, coughing and holding his hands over his nose, driven by the screaming desire to get away from the scent. But it had sprayed him in the face and he couldn't get away from it! 

He stumbled backwards, tripping over something soft that bit him back. He fell to the floor, hands over his nose and felt like he was suffocating. He had to get up, had to leave the room but couldn't; it was as if getting sprayed, getting the scent full force, had scrambled his brain and short circuited his nervous system. The hanyou couldn't get up, couldn't smell, couldn't open his mouth or else the perfume would get inside him and never go away. And sugar coating the panic that was galloping through his system, Inu Yasha felt relaxed. He felt calm, peaceful, and not a little horney. Crawling into bed with Kagome sounded wonderful, holding her, caressing her body. Licking her cuts and helping her heal and then, later when she felt better, they could….

"No!" Inu Yasha coughed, not caring if he woke Kagome. "NononoNO!" He beat his hands against the floor and the dogs began barking and whining. The hanyou ripped his yukata off, rubbing his face in a part of the coat that hadn't been sprayed by the perfume. He rubbed, grinding the fabric into his skin- he had to get rid of it, had to make the smell go away! He heard a surprised, "Hm?" from Kagome and knew she was awake.

He looked at her, still rubbing his coat against his nose, saw her sniff and calm the dogs. Her nose wrinkled. "What the…?" 

"The liquid!" Inu Yasha howled and then coughed violently, the sound like the barking of the roused dogs. He continued to cough, bending forward until his head touched the floor. His thoughts were rioting around in his head; panic, lust, fear. All three were making his body go into overdrive. He was shaking with adrenaline, his lungs screaming for the very air that was only making the problem worse. His demon powers had been awaked and were trying to combat the perceived threat the only way available: by heating his body temperature and burning it away. As bizarre as it sounded, this was not a bad idea- the increased heat was burning away the perfume's chemicals in his blood stream and oxidizing anything that survived. Unfortunately, it was a time consuming and energy depleting process. 

Inu Yasha felt movement beside him and tried to pull away. This motion was halted however by Kagome's arm, which held him still while she shoved her towel against his face and held it there. She pulled his yukata away with her foot, making more room for the towel. "Inu Yasha? Inu Yasha, can you hear me?" She demanded and his ears rotated toward her. She held his body against hers; waiting for some sign that he was okay.  That sign came as a surge of strength that sent her sprawling to the floor. The hanyou had risen to his knees, gasping in huge draughts of air. Socrates was barking; tail wagging as he positioned himself protectively between the hanyou and Kagome. 

On the bed, Duchess whined, finally dropping to the floor and cautiously approaching Inu Yasha's gasping form. Kagome got up; clutching the comforter she used to cover herself with when she crammed the towel into Inu Yasha's face. She knelt beside Inu Yasha, putting a hand on his face to get his attention. His head rolled toward her, his breathing calming down. He blinked, his eyes running in reaction to the spray. His nose was swollen, the area puffy. He looked miserable but managed a weak smile before his eyes closed and he fell against her. She caught him, surprised, and laid him on the floor. Immediately, Duchess fell on him, licking his face and neck. 

Kagome looked at the whole scene, at the problem before her. She stood and grabbed some clothes, gritting her teeth when she moved too fast for her battered body to handle. She dressed in a plain, high neck blue shirt and a pair of semi-faded jean overalls and began repacking. She made several trips up and down the stairs, leaving the unconscious dog demon in the care of the two canines. She checked his breathing and temperature every time she was in the room and shoving things into her traveling bag. On her last trip, she brought up two smaller backpacks designed for four legged carriers. The dogs looked up from their lounging on and around Inu Yasha; their tails wagging enthusiastically, the excitement the packs elicited palpable. "We're going for a walk!" Kagome told them and began fitting the backpacks on the furry backs.

In the Warring States, a little while later.

It had seemed like a good idea at the time! I huffed from exertion, Inu Yasha literally strapped to my back, his weight more than I expected. Duchess and Socrates were in full gear, their leashes in my hand. We had come through the well with remarkably little hassle- it was getting out that would be the fun part. It was so dark that calling for help was out of the question; more than likely, other things would answer that had no intention of helping and every intention of just eating me. It was a fate I did not wish to experience, spent my entire visits here avoiding. Nope, calling for help was not an option. The toughest part of the climb would be getting the dogs out. I had known that would be the case before I jumped through with them in tow but still... The reality was intimidating. 

I took the rope out of Socrates' back pack and looped the climbing claw through one end. What I needed was a wench but that idea was a little late, so the rock climbing gear it was. I swung the clawed end until I was confident it would go over the lip of the well and not come back down and hit me in the head. It sailed up and over; I pulled it until it became taught, making several experimental tugs before I was confident it was secure. What I needed to do was get the dogs up first- I wasn't sure how the well worked but if the dogs got caught in time somewhere I'd be toast. I rethought that plan; without another person it was unfeasible. 

All right; I'd go up first. I tied the end of the rope to Socrates' backpack and pulled out Duchess' rope, doing the same with one end. The other end I took in my hand, tying a loop to slip over my wrist. I let go of the dogs' leashes- it would only strangle them it I pulled them up using that. The dogs woofed loudly, not quite a bark, and I shushed them by petting their heads and murmuring soothing words. The quieted thankfully and I kissed their heads. I began scaling the wall using the rope I had set up, all the while shushing the canines. The climb was very hard with Inu Yasha's extra weight but not as hard as I thought it would be. By the time I reached the surface I was sweating and panting, happy to prop Inu Yasha by the Old God tree. 

Now for the dogs. I peered over the wooden edge of the well- they were still there, looking up at me expectantly. I shushed them again, smiling at them and began pulling up Socrates. The dog whined but stayed relatively quiet; after all, he had been trained for this. The harness was designed for this instance and had been tested for heavier weights than the Great Pyrenees. The rope kept slipping, making Duchess bark and Socrates whine louder. I pulled the rope until it went around a nearby tree, using the trunk as a bracer until the dog scrambled over the well side. I repeated it with the Kuvasz and soon they were both sniffing and trying to inspect the area s if they hadn't traveled up twenty feet and 500 years into the past.

I used the ropes as leashes, winding the excess around my forearms. I picked Inu Yasha up again, this time unable to stand up straight because of all the energy I had used to haul everyone up out of the well. I got us going in the right direction and the dogs practically pulled me all the way to the village. I knocked on the wall by Kaede's doorway, leaning against the doorframe while I waited for the old priestess to answer. The dogs sniffed and inspected every part of the front of the house. At last the door flap pulled back and Miroku and Sango looked out at us all in complete surprise. 

After the initial shock, the others pulled Inu Yasha inside and laid him by the fire. I sunk into a corner, holding the dogs by their leashes now while I repacked their back packs. Because I had had to carry Inu Yasha on my back, I couldn't bring my pack with me. I planned to go back and get it after I had a minute to get my second wind. The dogs sniffed at everyone, taking particular interest in Shippo and Kaede. The kitsune sat on my lap, looking worriedly at my face. 

"What happened?" Shippo asked urgently once everyone had settled and could listen. 

"Did Inu Yasha hurt you?" Miroku asked and I couldn't help but be surprised. The dogs lay down on either side of me like two furry supports. I stroked their fur while I faced the inquisition. 

"And why are these dogs here?" Sango asked, Kirara on her shoulder. The cat youkai was clearly unhappy with the dogs being in the hut.

Best to get this over with and then go get my bag before I got too comfy. "No, Inu Yasha did not hurt me. I fell and that's why I'm all banged up. I don't know what's wrong with Inu Yasha- I woke up and he was on the floor trying to grind his coat into his face." Belatedly, I realized that Inu Yasha's coat was still on my bedroom floor. "From the smell of him, I think he accidentally sprayed himself with one of my perfumes. The dogs are ones that my family is looking after temporarily. The rest of the Higurashis are unavailable so I have to look after them. Because I had to come here, I had to bring the dogs with me." There; that about covered it. I climbed painfully to my feet, tying the leashes around a support beam so the dogs wouldn't wander off.

"Where are you going?" Kaede asked as I gave Shippo to Miroku. 

"I don't want to keep going back and forth through the well all night. I'm gonna go get my pack and then we can set off tomorrow with no delays." I scratched my head, wincing when I found a hidden bump; and here I'd thought I'd blocked all of the attacks. Duchess and Socrates whined loudly as I walked stiffly toward the door. 

"We'll go with you." Sango said and got up, Miroku with her. 

"No," I waved them off. "Please stay here and help Kaede treat Inu Yasha; she'll need you if he freaks out like he did in my room." And I headed out the door before they could protest. I gritted my teeth and began a light jog; I wanted to be there and back as fast as I could. I reached the well and hoped through, landing hard and beginning the high climb up the stone wall. I walked to the house, holding a stitch in my side and holding a hand across my abdomen. When fighting the leader of that band of idiot girls, she had kicked me hard in the gut, low and just above my pelvis- in short she hit me in my uterus and it _really hurt! The area had swelled and that was a good thing, all be it painful; it meant that it was healing. _

I dashed up the stairs to my room, grabbing Inu Yasha's coat, and slipping it on before putting my arms through the arm straps of my backpack. I nearly fell over when I was done; the thing was just too heavy. But I had come this far, had done so much, that I refused to be beaten by my backpack. I made my way downstairs, slowly less I topple over, and out the front door. I made it to and then through the well but that was as far as I could get on my own.

Damn it! I needed a rope and didn't have one. I sighed and hoped the vines- and my muscles- would hold. "A nice rest." I panted as I climbed. "A nice long rest as soon as I make it out of the well." I reached the top and climbed out, sitting heavily down on the ground and panting to catch my breath. I leaned back against my huge bag, one hand holding my belly as I winced and felt my body yell at me for over using it. "Oh, my God." I sighed. "How am I gonna get to the village?" I was surprised I had made it this far alone. I should have let Sango come with me, at least to help me back to the village -and for company in this dark place. 


	6. Sesshomaru pays a visit

Ch 6: Sesshomaru pays a visit

It occurred to me then that waiting in the forest was a potentially life ending idea. I climbed to my feet- it took me three tries with the bag securely on my back- and began the trek toward the village. "I can sleep when I get there. I can sleep when I get there…" I chanted over and over, gritting my teeth and closing my eyes, my feet knowing the path from sheer repetition. I had to stop and rest several times but I was half way there; I had made it this far, I could make it the rest of the way. I pushed off the tree I was leaning against and walked right into a warm wall.

I gasped in surprise and stumbled backward, falling backward until a hand grabbed my overall strap and pulled me forward. I stood, planting my feet apart for better balance, and sighed in relief.  "Thanks, Inu Yasha. I didn't think you'd be up yet." I said and then realized that the figure was too tall for Inu Yasha. The white hair was the same, the eyes slightly more amber.  Alarm and adrenaline raced through my body and I did not think; I acted. I wrenched myself out of his grasp, landed a well placed kick and ran for all I was worth. Unfortunately, I didn't get far. 

I was tackled from behind by a snarling Sesshomaru, and picked up. I kicked and slipped out of the backpack straps, sprinting as fast as I could toward the crest of a hill. This time he slammed into me full force and we went rolling down the landscape. I screamed and he cut it off by covering my mouth with his hand. "Stop! I'm not here to harm you!" Like I believed that! We slid into a tree, me taking the brunt of the impact and I bit into his palm, worrying the bite until it bled freely. He pulled back his hand quickly, cursing all the while, and I coughed, choking on his blood.

He let me sit up, and I spat out as much of the liquid as possible. "I am not here to harm you." He said again, speaking slowly as if I was stupid or didn't understand Japanese.

"You just chased and then slammed me into a tree. I think that constitutes as 'harm,' fuzz ball." My voice was thick, with his blood and my own from a stinging split lip. Great; another freaking injury to add to the collection. I heard him growl, his face hidden in darkness except for the narrowed reflective slits that marked his eyes. I made as if to stand up and he shoved me back down, his hand pushing against the swollen bruise on my lower belly. My eyes went wide with pain and I struck out at his face, hitting something. He pulled back and I curled into a ball to protect myself. God that had hurt. I ground my teeth and willed back tears. 

"Don't. Touch. Me." I panted each word separately. I heard him stand and refused to meet my death in the fetal position. I rolled onto my knees, and then climbed painfully to my feet, crumbling back to the ground when my torn up knee finally gave out. I would have to die content by glaring angrily at Sesshomaru. I was going to come back and haunt this bastard.

I tried to get up after a minute and this time my knee held, though I had to hobble. I started up the hill, glaring over my shoulder at the silent youkai who watched me. "What's the matter, Sesshomaru? You usually aim to kill with the first strike." 

"That's right. I do." And he started after me. I kept a five foot margin between us. "I told you I meant no harm." He said when he noticed the gap.

"That or your aim isn't improving as you grow older." And I flashed him my best smile, enjoying the way his eyes narrowed. Ah, yes; if I was going to die and couldn't physically defend myself, then I was going down verbally swinging. I hobbled over the hill top and couldn't go any further. I leaned against a tree and closed my eyes. "Get it over with Sesshomaru. I don't have all day." I opened my eyes and looked out at the forest below, lit by starlight and the moon. I kept a hand around my middle in case he decided to be vindictive and aim there. Imagine my surprise when the youkai sighed and picked me up.

"You are such pathetic creature." He sighed, board, and headed down the hill, back the way we had come up. He held me gingerly in the crook of his one arm and walked as if I weighed nothing. Inu Yasha had cut off Sesshomaru's right arm in the initial battle over the Tetesusaiga; the youkai was becoming a very capable lefty. I caught sight of my pack and poked the youkai in the shoulder. He turned his head and spared me a glare which I ignored. 

"If you're playing taxi, I need to get my pack too." He stopped and turned his head to stare at me, incredulous. I could feel the tension in his shoulders, as if he were fighting with himself not to squeeze the life out of me. He finally dropped me, letting me fall to the ground as he picked up my bag.

"I am carrying this as a gesture of good will," He growled between clenched teeth. "You can walk." There was nothing wrong with his plan except I knew that I wasn't getting up again. I was too tired and my knee was not going to take anymore abuse. I watched Sesshomaru's feet walk off, again showing no difficulties with the added weight, and sighed in defeat. I gave it a last try and fell back on the ground. Nope, I wasn't going anywhere for a while. I smiled to myself grimly. "Well, I wanted to get my bag there and now I've gotten my wish." I closed my eyes and sighed. The grass here was actually soft and comfortable; I could sleep like this with no problem. 

I heard a sigh and opened my eyes. Sesshomaru's shiny shoes were in front of me. "Worthless wench!" He seemed genuinely pissed. Goody.

"Gimme a break," I yawned. "I've had a busy day." I rubbed my eyes and tried to concentrate. I felt something soft wrap around my sternum and I was lifted upwards. I yipped in surprise and realized it was Sesshomaru's tail. He picked me up and glared at me before he turned and rested me against his back. I wrapped my legs around his waist lightly, an automatic reflex, and rested my hands on his shoulders. "Uh, thank you." And I settled against him as he began moving. I relaxed against his warm body and felt myself nodding off.

"My mongrel of a half brother would never hear me out if I let his mate get eaten." He growled. "Especially when she's carrying his pups."

"What the hell" yawn "are you talking about?" I blinked, trying to concentrate on what the twit was saying. I tightened my grip on his waist by tensing my thigh muscles. I felt his back muscles tense underneath my hands.

"Such language from a lady." Sesshomaru tsked. He did not elaborate on what he had said so I decided to prod him a little. I adjusted my position, using my leg muscles to shimmy up his lean body. Needless to say, I had his attention now.

"What are you doing?!" He demanded angrily, turning his upper body and head as he tried to find me visually. I ignored him, hanging on as he moved. I did stop moving eventually though, once I was high enough to rest my chin on his head. I yawned again, one forearm resting on his shoulder for balance, the other hand tangling in the hair beside his temple. I flexed my fingers, for the first time really feeling the bandages that covered the sores that were my knuckles. Sesshomaru stopped abruptly but I continued to flex my hand, exercising my fingers and scratching his scalp gently.

"What did you say just now?" I doubted I'd get an answer now; he was just too damn angry. It was irritating that he wouldn't repeat himself- I suddenly knew he wouldn't- but on the other hand I was getting a bit of payback by annoying the hell out of him.

"Stop that!" He growled beneath me. I did as he so politely asked, yawning again and turning my head to rest my cheek against his satiny hair; I'd had too much exercise today to keep pestering him.

"Sorry." I sighed, not a bit sorry, and removed my hand from his hair. I let it hang down by his shoulder, still flexing it now and then. After a few seconds, Sesshomaru started walking again at a swifter pace.

"What did you do to your hand?" he asked after a while. I roused, realizing that I'd been napping again. I'd also slipped back down his back, in the position I had originally been in.

"Part of my busy day." I mumbled, wrapping my arms around his neck tighter. I closed my eyes again, hearing rocks crunch under Sesshomaru's shoes. We were very near the village and soon I'd be able to lie down and sleep. Though Sesshomaru was warm, he was not exactly comfortable to lie against- the movement of his tensed muscles against my bruised body was not pleasant. The slightly rough texture of Inu Yasha's fire rat coat scratching my skin did not help either. 

A cold wind, a small taste of the winter brewing in our future, blasted Sesshomaru. Even though he took the worst of it, icy fingers snaked through my light clothing and made me shiver. The youkai shivered too and, on impulse, I sat up straighter, spreading the long sleeves of Inu Yasha's coat around Sesshomaru's shoulders and snuggled closer to him. I felt my body temperature spike in response to the colder environment and with it my power. It flowed over me and Sesshomaru, warping us both in a glowing blanket. He stopped and I could feel his hair slid under my cheek as he turned his head to look at me. I didn't bother returning his gaze, opting instead to simply go to sleep.


	7. >Time out!

Rather than clutter up chapters, I've decided to occasionally post an update section to make sure everyone is up to date.  
  
The story thus far:  
  
Kagome got sick a while ago and it wasn't just the flu. It turns out that she and Inu Yasha were targeted by something called a dream eater youkai. In one fit of fever, Kagome inadvertently drags a wolf dog youkai named Taomaru into the fight. While searching for Inu Yasha Kagome runs into Sesshomaru of all people and it's up to them to set things right; get everybody back to their dreams, defeat the dream eater youkai and, coincidentally, put Inu Yasha back together because somehow there are now two- did I mention that back in reality, Inu Yasha is acting very strange and marks Kagome?  
  
With one adventure over, another begins.  
  
Because dreams are elusive in the waking world, Kagome only remembers snatches of the dream mesh and her wonderful moment with Inu Yasha. In the week that followed, Inu Yasha has become increasingly hostile to poor Kagome- he doesn't remember the dream mesh, making love to Kagome or anything about Taomaru. He does have reoccurring feelings for her, of that moment, of his love for her, but he doesn't understand what is going on. Kagome doesn't have the heart to tell him- mostly because there's no proof and she knows he still has feelings for Kikyo.  
  
Kagome hasn't been having a good week at home- she runs into a gang of Hojo worshippers and gets pushed into a fight. She has to deal with rampaging youkai trying to kill her all the time- what's a few humans? Kagome wins and runs into Inu Yasha while he's waiting for her at the shrine. She also has two dogs visiting thanks to Sota but her little brother has tonsillitis so with the rest of the family occupied, Kagome is now stuck with taking care of them. Inu Yasha takes care of her wounds and stumbles across the real reason why she was in such disarray.  
  
Inu Yasha gets into Kagome's perfume and incapacitates himself, leaving Kagome to drag him back through the well as well as the two dogs. She runs into Sesshomaru on the trip back from the well after fetching her bag from modern times. Low and behold- Sesshomaru isn't here to kill them all or take Tetsusaiga! He has a very important reason for his presence- a bitter one for him but a good one- and helps Kagome out…after a small fight. Kagome bites Sesshomaru and there's an interesting side effect to that.  
  
Remember that mark from a while ago? It's extremely important and Sesshou will explain it later- don't you worry. But in the mean time… what is all this about pups and mates? What could the pale youkai possibly mean? And why the hell is he here?!  
  
For those of you who are worrying over who will be the pairing-don't. It's an Inu/Kagome fic...ultimately. For those of you who are disappointed that there's no Sesshou/ Kagome pairing- don't. Though this is and Kagome/ Inu Yasha fic, she and Sesshomaru have a few scenes together- both cute and more adult. The scenes don't start to begin until Part 3 and I'm debating on the rating- so far there is no sex but there is sexual content. (Hey, I warned you about this a while back.) 


	8. The pride of a prince is set aside and I...

Ch7: The pride of a prince is set aside and Inu Yasha gets more than he bargained for.

Inu Yasha had woken up while Kagome was gone. He was a little disoriented but was recovering, his body standing down from alert. His nose was still out of commission and that made him uneasy. Kaede had given him a wet cloth to hold over it to make the swelling go down. He listened as Miroku and Sango filled him in, starring in surprise at the two dogs and the others.

"But, there's no way Kagome is strong enough to carry me and then carry the two dogs out of the well." Inu Yasha said, completely at a loss. "She's not that strong- even Sango, with all her warrior training couldn't do that after being in a fight." 

Sango frowned at the hanyou, remembering what she had had to do after she had been severely injured by her brother. The demon exterminator did have to admit though, that without her hardened discipline and will to survive she would never have been able to dig herself out of her own grave. Kagome was untrained, and undisciplined, physically and magically. After having the stuffing knocked out of her, there was no way she should have been able to climb out of the well at all.

Miroku was thinking along the same lines. "But she did and she has gone back for her bag. Tell us Inu Yasha; what happened to Kagome?"

Shippo chimed in. "She said she fell. What did she fall off of?" 

Inu Yasha stood, prepared to go search for the girl. "She didn't fall, she got into a fight but I don't know what it was about. I bandaged her wounds but with all the lifting she's done, they've probably reopened."

"Why do you smell so strange?" Shippo asked, sniffing the hanyou. "Kagome said you got into her perfume. What's perfume?"

"Oil used by women to smell good." Kaede answered absently. The old priestess made more tea and quietly listened to the others.

"Yah," Inu Yasha blushed. "I couldn't sleep and got up to find out what I smelled. I'd smelled it earlier when I went over this morning to get Kagome but the scent… has a dulling effect. I found the bottle but it slipped and sprayed me."

"But it shouldn't have had such a reaction," Miroku said, eyebrows raised. "Unless it was really potent."

"Your sensitive nose got you again, huh?" Shippo laughed. 

The hanyou grumbled and looked ready to beat the kitsune cub. "You should have stayed in bed with Kagome." Miroku remarked and picked up the tea that Kaede had made him.

"In- in bed with Kagome?!" Inu Yasha gawked. "I haven't been in bed with Kagome!" He was beet red, blushing more than he ever had in his life.

"Recently anyway." Sango added and smirked at him. Inu Yasha growled at her.

Just then, the dogs started barking and the door flap was pulled aside. A slightly glowing Sesshomaru stepped inside, Kagome and all. "That's very interesting, little brother." And the youkai smiled a cruel smile at his sibling. "A very interesting point indeed." He used his tail to set down the huge pack the girl insisted he bring, setting it down in a corner. His arrival had provoked an intense response in all assembled in the small room; the dogs were pulling at their leashes, snapping and barking. Sango and Miroku jumped to their feet, weapons drawn and looking fierce. Inu Yasha growled at his brother, the Tetsusagia drawn and transformed. Only Kaede, the old priestess and Shippo remained seated, though for very different reasons; Kaede sat because there was little to become excited about and Shippo sat because he was just too afraid. 

Sesshomaru fully entered the crowded hut, completely nonpulssed by their reaction. "I am not here to harm you, brother." He looked hard at Inu Yasha and the hanyou glared back defiantly.

"Where's Kagome?" Inu Yasha demanded and saw her feet wrapped around his waist, her ankles locked. "What did you do to her?"

"I, Sesshomaru, have done nothing to your mate. As a gesture of good will, I rescued her from the youkai lurking in the forest and brought her here." 

"What happened to your face?" Sango asked as she looked him over.

"Your mate is extremely strong willed, Inu Yasha. Even exhausted she managed to inflict some damage to me." He showed the mark of her blow to the light and held out his hand which was still bleeding sluggishly.

"You keep saying 'mate' when you refer to Lady Kagome," Miroku stated. "What do you mean?" The monk looked at Inu Yasha and frowned.

"He's spouting nonsense!" Inu Yasha snarled. "Put Kagome down and prepare to die!"

The dog youkai frowned at his younger brother, flexing his claws in reflex. It would be an understatement to say that Sesshomaru was a little annoyed with his brother's denseness. He growled and the two dogs charged forward, trying to attack Sesshomaru. Seeing that chaos was about to erupt Kaede, not surprisingly, became the voice of authority. She took control of the youngsters in the room, ordering Inu Yasha, Miroku, and Sango to stand down but to keep weapons within reach. She merely glared at any who opposed her, her power flaring and being felt by all. The message was clear; sit down and shut up or face her wrath. She offered Sesshomaru a seat and after a resigned sigh, the youkai sat down in a corner not far from the door. He kept everyone in view and sat forward enough so he didn't crush Kagome against the wall; wouldn't do to start things by inadvertently killing the very person that may get the youkai lord any leverage. 

"Let Kagome go!" Inu Yasha snarled angrily. The fact that they were just sitting there was not helping him calm down. The dogs kept snapping and growling in their vain attempt to aid Kagome. Sesshomaru sat there and met Inu Yasha's angry eyes.

"I will let her go when I am able but I cannot do so now." The youkai ground out between clenched teeth. He held up his still bleeding hand, letting the blood drip onto the ground. 

"That… should have healed by now." Shippo said from his perch on Kaede's shoulder. 

"If it should have healed, then why hasn't it?" Sango asked, keeping a watchful eye the youkai in the corner. She had her bone boomerang within reach and made no move to hide the fact. The demon slayer was concerned about Kagome as much as anyone else but since Sesshomaru had made it clear that he was not here to harm them and had carried Kagome and her bag to the hut, she was willing to cut him some slack. Some but not all; there was no proof that Kagome's unconscious state wasn't due to Sesshomaru himself.

"Where's Jaken?" Miroku asked. He kept expecting the little toad youkai to leap out at any moment.

"Let Kagome go!" Inu Yasha drew Tetsusagia. He was tired of his brother's games and was ready to pound Sesshomaru into oblivion. He watched his brother sigh and visibly restrain himself from the desire to smack Inu Yasha. In a second, Sesshomaru's face was back to its stoic expression. The dogs began barking again.

"Quiet!" Sesshomaru ordered, talking directly to the two canines. Surprisingly, the two lay down and stopped barking loudly, though they did still woof unhappily at him. "I cannot put Kagome down because she has managed to tap into my power." He held up his hand, the blood flow still steady. Kaede handed him a strip of cloth and he pressed it against the bite. 

"Tapped into your power?" The old priestess queried sharply. "But that's not possible unless…" She trailed off, looking at the glowing, unhappy dog youkai and the still hidden girl asleep on his back. Only Kagome's hands and legs were visible from this angle but from the calm expressions on Sango and Miroku's expressions and attitudes, the woman was sure Kagome was fine and in the same shape she had shown up in as before. It was very interesting that Kagome had managed to tap into a youkai's power, especially one as powerful as Inu Yasha's brother; in fact it was almost impossible. 

"Your mate, Inu Yasha, has pulled off a great achievement and is using _my healing power to heal __her body." Sesshomaru's anger was visible in that moment as a frightening expression. "If I did not wish to talk to you civilly, I would have killed her on the spot!"_

"Kagome what?" The hanyou backtracked a few words, their meaning and mention in the entire conversation finally sinking in to his angry mind. "Mate? Kagome is _not my mate!" _

"The pups aren't yours then?" Sesshomaru asked, quietly delighting in his younger brother's misery. Behind him, he felt Kagome shift, laying her head fully against his back, her hands tightening in their loose grip around his neck. She wasn't chocking him and made no move to hurt him- she was just getting comfortable and that irked the youkai even more. As the rest of her settled against him, Sesshomaru felt her like a warm line of heat, felt her draw away when her tummy touched his spine. What got his attention was the feeling in his head, a mental shifting that rested in the back of his mind. The presence wasn't malicious and was not skirting through his thoughts; it just lay quiet, not seeming to know where it was. 

"Pups?" Shippo exclaimed, and his voice was joined by others.

"Pups? Inu Yasha, what have you done to Kagome?" Sango roared, staring at the hanyou in shock.

"Inu Yasha..!" Miroku hissed and turned toward the hanyou, flames in his eyes and staff in the air.

"What! I haven't done anything!" Inu Yasha exclaimed, eyeing the two in fear of his life.

Kaede remained silent but her face showed her surprise. Shippo jumped up and savaged Inu Yasha's ear, narrowly avoiding Miroku's staff as the monk brought it down on the hanyou's head. Though she had left her bone boomerang on the floor, Sango was still ready to pick it up and slug Inu Yasha with it. 

Sesshomaru watched the humans with mild amusement and felt the presence in his mind stir. Aware, the mental signature was warm but groggy. It was so much like its owner that having Kagome in his head was overkill with her sleeping against his back. She did not rifle through his memories, keeping her inadvertent invasion as inconspicuous as possible, but Sesshomaru already knew she was there and began setting up barriers to shove her out. The two were linked in dreams and when Kagome had bitten him, swallowing some of his blood, she had reinforced the link; now she could barrow power from the youkai in the physical realm. A human that had the power to do that was dangerous indeed and should be killed on sight- Sesshomaru was showing _great restraint by letting her live. _

Kagome's power flared slightly and Sesshomaru was taken by surprise by the mental illumination it created. Her power met his and instead of the two fighting, they mingle; combining into something else, something warm and pleasant. The effect would be temporary- Sesshomaru had not taken any blood from Kagome- and that saved her life and everyone else's. About to ask what she was doing, or thought she was doing, Sesshomaru was distracted by Inu Yasha's yelling. When Sesshomaru's attention shifted, Kagome's did as well, focusing on the aggravated hanyou and listening to what he was saying through Sesshomaru's senses.

"I did not have sex with Kagome!" Inu Yasha roared, rubbing the lumps on his head. "I don't see Kagome in that way. She is not my mate and she is not pregnant!"

Sesshomaru blinked at this, mentally noting that Inu Yasha did indeed 'see' Kagome in _that way._

"I put up with her because she can see the shards. We never have and never will have sex, now stop beating on me!" He snarled at the humans, growling loud enough to make Shippo cower behind Kaede. He looked ready to storm out the door until he remembered that Sesshomaru was still there.

Said youkai looked silently at the angry hanyou, letting his face betray nothing. Behind that mask however, Sesshomaru did inquire about Kagome's opinion. He got feelings, emotions, for part of the answer. Kagome was sad, depressed, broken hearted; Sesshomaru could almost hear the crack for the last. The other part of the answer was said in a flat, detached 'voice;' a mental projection that did nothing to sway Sesshomaru's reaction. _If those are his thoughts then he is entitled to them. I have no authority to tell him otherwise. The warmth faded and Kagome's presence in his mind curled up, making its self as small as possible. The youkai felt an unexpected pang of pity for the girl and, oddly, hot anger towards his brother. _

He flashed on the adventure with the dream mesh, feeling Kagome's surprise that he could remember anything while he was awake. _Inu Yasha didn't remember, did he? He asked quietly. _

_No, he didn't remember anything. I only remember snatches of it when I'm awake; when I'm dreaming I remember it in full. I asked Taomaru about it but he didn't know why. Emotions accompanied her response: confusion, sadness, disappointment. Kagome's vibrant personality swamped Sesshomaru until he had to close his eyes and take a moment to remember whose emotions were whose. _

_You have been talking to Taomaru all this while. Good. It is part of the reason I am here and putting up with Inu Yasha's temper tantrums. He felt her curiosity pique in an effort to displace her feelings toward the hanyou, silently asking what was going on. Sesshomaru felt uncomfortable; he couldn't hide what he was feeling from her and the fact that she was in his head did not help matters. __Lady Kagome, he began formally because by dog demon standards she was almost his sister-in-law. __I need your help to protect the Western Lands. Images of the beauty he guarded flashed between the two; magnificent waterfalls, crystal pools, emerald forests, etc. Scenes of villages from all over, both youkai and human, dotted the landscapes intermittently. The image of a castle popped up several times, sometimes with the figure of Rin playing in its halls, sometimes with the figures of a man and two different women who Kagome did not know. _

_To protect them, to protect those who live in your lands, you swallowed your pride and came to ask for help. Kagome was extremely impressed with him- and honored in a way, that he had come to get her help and Inu Yasha's. Before Sesshomaru could stifle it, a mental blush colored his thoughts. __Even if Inu Yasha refuses, I'll help anyway I can. It's the least I can do… and she faded out, the faint glow that marked her presence dimming until it was non-existent. Sesshomaru could still feel her in his head but not as strongly as he had a few seconds before. The link between them was enough that he knew Kagome was asleep again- completely- and alerted him when she began dreaming. The youkai took down some of his mental barriers and allowed her peaceful thoughts flow over him. He sighed, relaxing, and accidentally fell asleep. _

 It was Shippo who realized that Sesshomaru was napping first. While Sango, Miroku and Inu Yasha argued and fought, the kitsune cub crept closer to the dog youkai while Kaede watched. "Sesshomaru?" he whispered softly. "Sesshomaru?" he got no response, the elder youkai simply continued to sleep sitting up. His tail twitched and curled around his waist, insulating himself and Kagome at the same time. Shippo froze and then continued to move forward along Sesshomaru's side. The kitsune made it to his target, hoping onto Kagome's shoulder. He called her name quietly and felt her pulse. She was still glowing softly, almost completely hidden by Sesshomaru's form. 

Shippo tried to pull Kagome away and couldn't. Sesshomaru did not react and neither did Kagome but there was _something holding the two together. He hopped down into the narrow space between the two, settling down next to her stomach. Shippo rested his small hands against Kagome's tummy, putting his ear nearby. Kagome mumbled and shifted away from him. Undeterred, Shippo resumed his position. The kitsune didn't hear anything that would suggest she carried any pups but her stomach was distended and swollen. _

He looked up at her worriedly, looking over the bandages on her hands and the marks on her face. Blood had dried around her mouth but the kitsune didn't know if it was Kagome's, Sesshomaru's or both; every one of them bled red. The glow surrounding Kagome faded and the girl leaned back against the wall behind her. She blinked slowly at Shippo and then greeted him with a lopsided smile, wincing when her lip split again. 

"Kagome!" Shippo exclaimed, jumping into her arms and cuddling under her chin. He had to admit that she did smell funny, like Inu Yasha and something else that was pleasant, but he didn't know if it was from her or Inu Yasha's coat. Kagome petted him, her movements more fluid but slow. She looked up and saw that Sesshomaru had turned his head enough and was looking at her. She arched a brow at him and pulled her legs free from his waist. She climbed to her feet and moved out from behind Sesshomaru, moving carefully so she didn't hit him. 


	9. Revelations and an end

They all stared at me as I stood there with Shippo in my arms. I blinked, not knowing what was wrong or what had happened. I knew that Sesshomaru had taken me here and I remembered our, er, 'conversation' about the battle looming on the horizon over the fate of the Western Lands and Inu Yasha's declaration of our incompatibility. But I didn't know why my friends were staring at me with pity, like I was broken or dying. "What?" I demanded and watched them all become embarrassed.

In my arms Shippo was nodding at Miroku and Sango, the two looking at Inu Yasha s if they'd kill him. Kaede's expression was carefully neutral, carefully blank as if she were hiding without physically doing so. Inu Yasha would not look at me and Sesshomaru shrugged a bare movement of his shoulders. I frowned, looking at them all in confusion. 

"Now what happened?" I asked. "Shippo, why are you crying?" I had glanced down at the kitsune out of habit and there were tears in his eyes. They ran down his cheeks as I watched in alarm. "No don't cry! What happened? What's wrong?" I looked at everyone and they only wore those pitying expressions. I soothed Shippo absently, looking at the old priestess for information. "Kaede, what hap-" I was cut off abruptly by a sharp snapping sound.

The leashes snapped and the dogs bounded forward, knocking me backwards and making me loose Shippo mid-flight. The kitsune went one way and I went the other. I slammed into the wooden floor and lay there stunned for a few seconds while two white furry bodies of muscle licked and sniffed me. Knowing that trying to shove them away would prove useless, I lay there, eyes closed and passive, letting them do as they would. 

"Kagome?" My hands twitched and rubbed the dogs' bellies. The happy furballs barked happily and lay down, one directly on top of me unfortunately, and the other lay down by my side. I opened my eyes and arranged the dog's hindquarters so they weren't digging into my sore belly. I blinked up into concerned gold eyes, partially blocked by a wagging tail. 

 "Lady Kagome, are you all right?" I moved my head and saw a worried Miroku. 

_You are unharmed? The thought made me pause and look in Sesshomaru's direction. The youkai was pointedly ignoring me but at least he had asked. I answered truthfully. __Yah, but I'm really tired- and that was before I got tackled!  He didn't say anything but he growled, making the dog on top of me climb off and lay down beside me on my free side. I used both hands, one for each, to pet both animals. _

Sango offered me a hand up. I shook my head. "I'll just stay here. I was going to go to sleep anyway since no one will tell me anything." I saw her wince and felt guilty. Inu Yasha frowned and disappeared from view. I didn't hunt for him; I could hear him riffling through my pack. Damn it! I struggled to sit up, wincing and putting a hand to my belly when I crushed the healing bruise. For my efforts I got my sleeping bag shoved in my face and the hanyou storming out the door after muttering something that sounded like a death threat for Sesshomaru if he touched me. 

One by one, my traveling companions followed Inu Yasha out of the hut, mumbling excuses about going to find him. Kaede, Sesshomaru, the dogs and I were the only ones left in the hut. I held my sleeping bag and didn't know what to do. My brain finally engaged and I began standing up. I had to go find them and find out why they were they acting like someone had died! 

"Kagome, it would be unwise to push yourself any further, especially in your condition." Kaede said and I blinked, unsure of what she was saying. It was true that I had taken a beating and was tired but I still wanted to go and find Inu Yasha-not to mention be clued in. "It would be wise to leave the others alone for a while. Come, you can sleep in my room. I'll stay out here and talk to them." My brain stalled.

I looked at Sesshomaru. _Do you know what's going on? He arched an eyebrow at me, his face blank._

_Yes, but the priestess is right; go rest your body, wench. You'll be no help to anyone if you are too tired to stand. He was right and that was the most annoying part. I knew it and he knew it; I got the impression he was smiling inside, a quiet cheer for his minor victory. __Don't get too cocky. I told him and headed after Kaede. I pulled Inu Yasha's coat off and laid it over my bag when I passed it, disappearing through the scant rug that partitioned the two rooms. I laid out my sleeping roll and crawled in, not bothering to change- not with Sesshomaru so close by. I half curled, unable to get comfy. The dogs joined me shortly after I entered, laying down on either side of me. I smiled and fell asleep scratching behind their ears._

    Inu Yasha ripped up another tree. He had left the hut and stomped off to his forest to wash off the god awful stench clinging to him. He couldn't think straight with it on, his moods swinging violently from one extreme to the other. He couldn't concentrate on anything for long; his thoughts chased each other round and round his head, making him very confused. 

Kagome had smelled different this morning- that was true. She had smelled attractive, wonderful, but not her normal scent. The hanyou folded his arms in the water as he tried to think things out. Kagome couldn't be his mate, couldn't be pregnant. But Sesshomaru wouldn't lie- be irritating, annoying and down right the brother from hell, but the youkai had honor and this was where Sesshomaru drew the line. By all rights, he should have killed Kagome- she had been a thorn in his side forever- so there had to have been a very good reason that prevented Sesshomaru from doing so. 

Inu Yasha frowned. Wasn't there was a formal ceremony involved for mates... and something about biting? _Damn, he thought. __It's been so long since I had to remember any of this court crap. Sesshomaru would know but the hanyou didn't want to ask his brother about it right now. __Probably tell me everything but about what I want to know- if he didn't out right attack me. In a way, it was a shame that the brothers' relationship had deteriorated so much; it made the hanyou's life that much lonelier. _

As much as he didn't want to admit it, Inu Yasha really needed a friend to talk things over with and the only one he could think of was Kagome. The hanyou thought about the events of the past week, about the night of the new moon- the night something important had happened that he couldn't remember but Inu Yasha suspected that Kagome knew about. He had wanted to ask her about it repeatedly but something inside him was afraid, afraid that she would lie or deny it. He smashed the water's reflective surface. The missing piece of the puzzle was what _it was. _

Inu Yasha climbed out of the water, shivering slightly in the chill air. He shook himself vigorously, getting rid of the water that coated his skin and soaked his hair. He wished he had brought his coat to wash- if the stench wasn't washed away it would set in and then he'd never be rid of it. Dressed and still unhappy, Inu Yasha's thoughts turned toward matters at hand. 

As far as the pregnancy was concerned… If she was indeed pregnant, Kagome was not carrying his pups. They had not had sex, so they couldn't be Inu Yasha's; plain and simply. Vague sensations of her skin beneath his hands, moving in an intimate rhythm haunted him. He could feel her body inside and out, smell her sweet scent, and almost see her as she arched her back… Inu Yasha shook his head violently to chase the images away. The whole thing was akin to a wonderful fantasy- or a very good dream.  

His claws bit into his palms as he looked around the woods. No- they had never had sex in reality. He would have smelled it the moment she conceived, but… Doubt wormed its way into his heart, feeding the budding feeling of betrayal growing there. _But Kagome had smelled different in her bedroom. His thoughts kept returning to that point, as if it had infinite importance. So, Kagome had to have had slept with someone; a lady did not get pregnant out of thin air. That only meant the father was someone else that she had seen or met in the week she was in her time. That revelation hurt the most; Inu Yasha felt betrayed, felt his heart ache. It mad him even angrier and he slammed his fists into the trunk of the nearest tree._

That tree was followed by several. Inu Yasha didn't just hit them with his fists; he used his claws and incredible strength to tear them to pieces. Each act of violence only fed his rage, making it grow like some angry beast inside his chest- where his heart used to be. Kikyo had betrayed him, sealed him into sleep, and now she gave him mixed messages about her feelings toward him. The shell of grave dirt and bones that housed the hating heart of Kikyo that was her in a way but at the same time not… Those hands had alternately tried to kill him and had held him close in a gentle embrace. It hurt him to think that he had to kill her but he also felt relief that she would be at peace once he destroyed her body. 

That didn't mean he wanted to go down that path if he had to, however.

And now Kagome had done the same! He cared for the woman, loved her in a way, and it hurt him to think about this new awful event. Kagome had pledged loyalty to him but had succumbed to another's touch. She had betrayed him and it stirred up the beast of rage inside him as he called on more and more of his demon heritage. He demolished another tree, his fifth, and tossed it over his shoulder to join the growing pile. It surprised him, distantly, that the more he demolished, the stronger he was becoming.  It distressed him and he finally sat down on the piled remains of the trees he had destroyed. 

Maybe they were just too different.  His claws continued to clench and unclench as he thought that through. _Separated by almost five hundred years and linked together by a quest and a well, he thought grimly. As naive as his thinking was, he had always thought that Kagome would stay with him. She had put up with a lot of abuse from him and the past week hadn't helped matters. __Maybe, he swallowed thickly. __Maybe she finally got tired of waiting, of being yelled at, and that's why she… __why she… He angrily scrubbed at his face as he felt tears fall. He wouldn't cry. He wouldn't! He rubbed harder at his eyes. Inu Yasha felt alone, abandoned, and smashed his fists into the trees underneath him angrily, trying to make the feelings go away._

.

Sango and Miroku found him that way, smashing the poor trees to splinters without realizing it. The priest cleared his throat, making Inu Yasha look up at the two, noticing them for the first time. His anger was evident on his face and made the two step back, unsure of what to say; they didn't know if consoling him would make him angrier or calmer. They tried anyway with a neutral opener, trying to ease his pain even when they were thinking along the same lines as the hanyou. 

"Now Inu Yasha…" Miroku began, trying to be positive. Though he was a bit annoyed with the hanyou, the monk had to admit he was jealous- out of all of them, Miroku had thought he had the best shot of getting anywhere with the ladies. 

"Sesshomaru's just being mean!" Sango said fiercely, but her voice wavered with uncertainty at the end.

Inu Yasha looked down at them and he radiated rage. He leapt down and snarled at the two, running at top speed back toward the village. He was going to solve this once and for all. He'd make Kagome tell him who she had slept with, who she had betrayed him for. _I bet it was that Hoho guy, or one of her 'friends' from school! The thoughts only made him run faster, only fed his rage. How many men did Kagome know, how many could she have slept with? Inu Yasha scented the air- his nose was working again and he was glad.  It was time to see what the truth was, be it good or bad._

 He entered the small hut like a barely contained storm of violence. His energy was so much that it awoke Sesshomaru, who had fallen asleep again when Kagome had. The youkai silently sent a thought to Kagome that woke her from her dream and alerted the girl to Inu Yasha's presence- and his mood. Kagome woke fully, thanked Sesshomaru, and lay still, pretending to still be asleep. 

Inu Yasha walked in a straight line to Kaede's bedroom. The old priestess was shoved across the room when she tried to stop him. Inu Yasha ignored her and pushed the door flap away, exposing Kagome's sleeping form.

I could feel every step Inu Yasha took as he crossed into the tiny room. I kept my eyes closed and focused on controlling my heart rate. He either didn't care or I did a great imitation of sleeping because he pulled the top of my sleeping bag down. His anger bit along my skin and frightened me. To hide this I rolled over, from my back onto my right side, away from him. The dogs had disappeared for the time being but I'd have to go find them later- after I dealt with this idiot. 

_Lay passive and let him do what he wants. Sesshomaru ordered in my head. His tone made me bite back my angry retort. I knew he and Kaede were in the doorway, ready to jump Inu Yasha if he tried to hurt me. I did as I was told, playing rag doll when Inu Yasha roughly rolled me back and pulled at my overalls. My acting ability was sorely tested when he shredded the straps- he couldn't get the hooks undone- and pulled the clothing down. He sniffed me; bringing his face close to my skin and making my hair stand up. I tried to roll over, to my left this time, and toward the doorway and safety but he pushed me back down on my back; the hanyou also kept a hand on my shoulder to keep me pinned. Uh oh._

He finally stopped sniffing when he got to my belly. He poked my stomach, hesitantly laying his entire palm against it, and then pushing on the area hard. Now I couldn't ignore him anymore; I slapped his hands away, curled into a ball while on my back, and put my legs between his claws and my body. He pulled his hand back in surprise and shook with fury.

"It's true then." The hanyou said, his voice tight. I had never heard him so angry. What the hell? What was he talking about? I opened my mouth to ask and his hand came down. It stopped a few inches from my face and I stared at it in fear. Suddenly there was a lot of shouting and barking from the other room. The noise distracted Inu Yasha and allowed me the time to think, to move. I kicked out with both legs and hit him in the upper body. As soon as he stumbled back I rolled off the bed and dived for the door. 

I was hit from the right and my left side slammed the wall. I felt something crunch inside, pain as an accompaniment. With the pain my power flared and I used it, directing it into a barrier between me and the enraged hanyou. Safe within my shield, I watched Inu Yasha hit it with his fists, trying his best to pop my bubble. I let myself lay on the floor and spit blood, wondering what he had hurt. I watched the others pour into the room, too late to be of any real help, and drag Inu Yasha back. They were losing, being tossed around like dolls- even Sesshomaru-, and I screamed "Sit!" Inu Yasha obediently smashed into the ground and stayed there. Everyone backed off as Inu Yasha started to rise to his feet. I sat him again and again when he got up afterwards. I climbed to my feet and my barrier faded. I leaned against the wall and watched the hanyou rise slowly as well. Sango and Miroku came over to me, watching me like they'd never seen me before.

My patience had reached its limits. I stood there, blood running from my mouth, and ground out, "I have been beaten up, have out competed an Olympic athlete in lifting, and been attacked by one of my best friends." My voice had started out quiet and had increased in volume, reaching maximum on the last. "Someone tell me what the hell is going on and what is wrong with Inu Yasha!" I coughed and winced. Pain seemed to be coming from somewhere inside but I couldn't pinpoint its source- from my lower sternum to my waist; everything was a massive belt of pain. My chest area hurt the most aside from my stomach. Unconsciously, my hand slid down and covered the lower region as well as held up my pants. I rubbed my chest as I waited for an answer. Closed my eyes, I winced, feeling myself slide down the wall to the floor. When next I opened them I was being held by Sesshomaru.

_What happened? I asked, and even I thought I sounded fuzzy. I had a sense of de ja vu and flashed on the dream that had started this all, reliving the time I had been hurt by the dream eater youkai and Sesshomaru had helped me feel better by licking my wounds. I felt myself blush and laughed mentally. It was funny, though I couldn't say why.  I felt giddy, tipsy, and a little sleepy._

_Hush, Kagome. Just lie still. Sesshomaru barked. His message was sent with images- images of the lands and people he had shown me earlier in ruins or laid to waste, overrun by a dark force. Sesshomaru didn't care about me; he was concerned for his kingdom. If I was hurt or damaged, I would be unable to help Sesshomaru and that was why he was sharing his power and healing me. I complied, letting him hold me and feeling the pain ease._

"Kagome?" Sango's face appeared, upside down from my point of view. I blinked and focused on her worried expression, the giddiness draining away. 

"Where's Inu Yasha?" Threats first, small talk later. 

"Out of reach." I nodded and said the magic word. I heard a thump and cursing- Inu Yasha was on the other side of the room. 

"Why-" and I coughed, ignoring Sesshomaru's silent orders to shut up and be still. I drew a painful breath and tried again. "What made him crazy?" Someone touched my stomach and I hissed. 

She ignored my question and said something that made me stare at her. "Kaede's afraid that you're losing the baby." 

"Baby?!" I coughed and tried to right myself. Sesshomaru held me firm and I couldn't sit up and be comfortable. "What baby?" And this time she stared at me. 

"You were pregnant when you came back," Sango looked sad and my fuzzy mind began putting things together. "After being…attacked, Kaede thinks that you're losing the child." 

"Can't lose what I never had." I said, raising my head and looking down at myself. I couldn't believe this! They were all acting weird because they though I was pregnant? Where did they get such a stupid idea? Inside my head I felt Sesshomaru shift and knew where the stupid idea had come from. I kicked my foot up and hit Sesshomaru in the head. I struggled out of his arms, scrambling away as far as I could. I ended up in a corner, again, and stared at them all. 

I spotted Shippo by my bag, the little kitsune not meeting my eyes. "Shippo!" I yelled and he flinched. "The pocket near your foot has a marker in it. It's the fat one. Pull it out and bring it here, please." He hesitated and then did as I asked. I glared at Sesshomaru and slammed a wall inside my head, shutting him out and blocking his power from me. I immediately felt sleepy and the unidentified pain was back, slightly less but still there. I was going to show them what made my stomach swell and if I had the strength afterwards I was gonna yell like hell. 

Pulling my shirt up a bit and pushing the remains of my overalls down, I showed them my stomach. The area was indeed swollen, but discolored in a strange pattern. I pulled the cap off the marker with my teeth, holding the top there while I traced the pattern. They all watched me with interest, especially Inu Yasha. I replaced the cap, finished, and glared at them all, finally locking eyes with the hanyou.

"It is a boot imprint!" I shouted, and indeed the discolored area was shaped like a boot. It was the imprint of one of the hiking boots the leader of that idiotic girl gang of Hojo worshippers had worn. When she had kicked me it had left a massive bruise. I toed off one of my own shoe and matched the heel of it and the heel of the imprint together. "I was in a fight earlier and got kicked low in the stomach!" Now that show and tell was over, I put my clothes back the way they had been and chucked the shoe as hard as I could at the open mouthed Inu Yasha. It was vindictive, true, but also satisfying when it hit him in the head. I threw the marker at Sesshomaru who unfortunately caught the damn thing.

"The area is swollen," I continued slowly for the rest of the assembly, turning my attention on them all. "Because it's filled with healing fluids that are repairing all the damage! I am not pregnant and never was!" I slumped back against the wall, closing my eyes, too disgusted with the people around me. I coughed and felt more blood slip between my lips. "You idiots… Stupid, stupid idiots…" I mumbled and passed out. 


	10. Reflections

::runs in:: Okay! A quick note: Kagome is _Not pregnant. Sesshomaru has put together the evidence and that's the conclusion he made- he has a better nose but remember the perfume Inu Yasha sprayed himself with? It altered the hanyou's nose- overloading his sense of smell so it became ineffective- Sesshomaru is feeling something similar but on a subtler level. He smells something and could feel Kagome's bruise and put together the... err obvious conclusion that that would mean to him._

Anyway! Enjoy the new chapter… I'll check in on reviews later in the week. Grrr.. I have a bio exam that is really irritating. But everyone is clear, right? Kagome is not pregnant. 

I slipped into a dream, hiding from the shouting that my nodding off had caused. I wanted nothing to do with them. I wanted to just tell them all to go to hell because I was going home. There was no point in traveling with people that didn't trust me, that would turn on and attack me after some stupid rumor or misconception. So I slid into my dream without guilt, stewing in my anger and feelings of betrayal. 

I sat with my knees to my forehead. I was on a large king sized bed. The comforter was soft and downy and some of my anger slipped away. I felt someone sit beside me and hug me. The moment the person touched me, I knew who it was. I snuggled against Taomaru and still felt alone.

"What happened?" His voice was soothing and gentle, quietly coaxing me into telling the youkai my woes. I opened my mouth to answer and sobbed instead. Before I knew it, I was crying and telling him what had happened, clutching tightly to his warm frame the entire time. When I was done I laid down, resting my head in his lap. He ran his fingers through my hair, radiating comfort and concern, none of which reached me. I felt empty, depressed, and wanted to sleep but if I did that I'd probably wake up in reality and I didn't want to face anyone right now. 

"I am honored that you said you would help protect the Western Lands, deeply honored." Taomaru said as he petted my hair. "And I am extremely sorry that you endured such a horrible ordeal."

"But?" I scrubbed at my eyes, wiping the tears away. I still wore my shredded overalls and crumpled t-shirt. I looked woefully underdressed as I lay on Taomaru's lap, creasing his blue and gold dress robe. 

"But, perhaps it would be best if you went home for a while, until the war is over. Sesshomaru was correct in that you should rest before tackling any other problems, be they physical or emotional." When he said 'physical,' he put his hand over the boot imprint. The ache I had been ignoring eased and faded. When he said 'emotional,' he touched the area over my heart, which was an empty place right now; that feeling did not fade as the other injury had. 

I turned until I lay on my back, looking up at him. "I can't." And I watched his eyes change from orange bronze to pale gray. "As much as I don't like them right now, I can't abandon them to a fight against a threat so dangerous." I rolled my head and looked out at the immaculate room. "I'm angry but not cruel."

"Even though you have every right to be." The wolf youkai murmured and began inspecting the bandages on my arms. I let him poke and prod me- hell, everyone else had, what was one more time- without complaint. His hands felt warm and any hurt in his path eased away.

I sighed, content. "Taomaru, where exactly are you? I mean, where are you sleeping?" 

"I actually was sealed many centuries ago." I was surprised he was answering me. "I sleep under a castle, Sesshomaru's actually." And I could hear him smile and I looked up at him. 

"You mean, you're right under Sesshomaru's nose, hidden somewhere in his castle." I laughed. "That's funny. Why were you sealed?" Hmm… This story sounded familiar…

"There is actually a dark side to the power of the Dog clans. Other clan leaders oversee all with in their kingdom; they are the absolute authority. That is not the case with our clan. Many, many centuries ago the Dog clan of the Western Lands acquired a reputation for being weak- and we were in a way. We were disorganized, small in number with crappy leadership." Taomaru looked disgusted with his ancestors.  He shook his head and motioned for me to get off his lap. I complied, watching as he lay down on the bed beside me. He lay on his back and pointed at the ceiling. I followed suit and looked where he pointed. 

The lights in the room dimmed, the ceiling darkening. Little pin pricks of light appeared, and I realized that it was imitating the night sky. I grinned at Taomaru and he grinned back. "I always enjoyed a story with a visual." He laughed and when he opened his eyes they were pure green. "Anyway," he began again and the ceiling began to flow until it pictured a scene that changed with his words. It displayed the story like a movie and it was better than any movie I had ever seen. 

"The Dog Clan fought long and hard against enemies and allies when the latter turned against the Clan. In one massive battle, they attacked at once, swamping our forces and easily slaughtering anything in their path. It seemed all was lost and the Dog Clan would die that day when the land began to shake. It was an earthquake with a mind of its own; the earth cracked and disappeared beneath the enemy forces, leaving ours alone. Trees sprang to life and beat the enemy soldiers. Avalanches demolished their troops, their encampments- everything- while our forces were left untouched.

"The Dog Clan escaped death due to one person, the daughter of the king. Her power guided nature and forced it to defend us. It was awesome to say the least. After that, the Western Lands prospered and new alliances were formed. Breeding became extremely important; successors had to be stronger, faster, and more intelligent. Mates were carefully selected from that day forward. And for many years everyone was happy. They were, at least until my father took the throne."

Taomaru paused and the picture on the ceiling formed the image of a man, a youkai in humanoid form. The guy did not look friendly; he had an arrogant lift to his head, a scowl that he must have been born with gracing his lips. His eyes were narrowed beneath upswept brows, three stripes across each cheek and white hair flowing over his shoulders. His body looked heavily muscled even with his cloths blocking the flesh from view. The youkai must have had the personality of a pissed off pit bull, and since he was a dog youkai, I probably wasn't far off. "_That's your father?" I asked Taomaru incredulously. _

"Was, yes." He replied with mild amusement. "Don't let his looks fool you though- he had a gentle streak a mile wide and the intelligence of a pigeon." I burst out laughing. "Seriously though, no one could understand how he could turn out how he did when his parents were so smart! I think that if he didn't look so fearsome, he would have been dethroned! Since it was peacetime, it didn't really matter much… until he had to choose a mate." Taomaru shook his head again. "Here's where everything went to hell."

On either side of the image of Taomaru's father, two portraits appeared. Each was of a woman, each as different as night and day. Both women were youkai- I could see the tails wrapped around their feet. One woman had short dark brown hair, so dark it was almost black, her tail the same color. Her hair was pinned with matching pink flower barrettes. She was dressed in a white, pink, and red Kimono, the colors blending into each other flawlessly in that order. A pale blue obi was tied around her waist, completing the outfit. 

I liked the woman as soon as I saw her face- she looked as if she was trying mot to smile, a poor imitation of being serious. Her eyes were bright but each one had hints of other colors; they weren't just blue, they had hints of green and purple. They were vibrant and kind.  On her forehead was a teardrop mark and each cheek had one stripe on it. Instead of her hands resting meekly in front of her, she had them on her hips, as if saying 'This is how I am, take it or leave it.' If I had only had a second to see her I would have known immediately that this woman was Taomaru's mother. "Can I take her at face value?" I asked and Taomaru nodded, smiling happily. 

The other woman was smaller, with pale, pale, blond hair done up in a complicated style that involved a lot of loops. She smiled but it looked wrong on her face somehow, as if her lips weren't used to the form; maybe she only rarely smiled. Her eyes were kind but had a calculating look in them, as if she were quietly looking for your weakness and was already making a plan to exploit it. She had two stripes on each cheek. This woman was dressed in a jade green kimono with gold piping and leaf designs. Her hands were folded in front of her, her attitude deceptively submissive. "That woman was trouble, I bet." I commented and out of the corner of my eye I saw the wolf dog nod.

"What the pictures don't show is what kind of youkai they were. If you look close you can probably see the differences in breeds but you have to know what you're looking for. The dark haired one is my mother and she is a full blooded wolf youkai. The blond woman is my brother's mother and a full blooded dog demon."

"So you're a half breed. Spiffy." And I heard him laugh. 

"My father somehow managed to get roped into two engagements when the new alliances were made. To insure that they would not turn against us, the other clans' blood was mixed with ours- family does not turn against family. It is one of our strictest taboos, one of only a few, so it was sacred. Well, to have the alliance, he had to marry both women in order to keep his hold over his Kingdom and unite it."

"That couldn't have gone over well." I said. Considering that tradition played a much larger part in life way back then, this situation had to really drive all involved up a wall.

"It didn't,but everyone finally had to shut up and take it- he could marry them both but they had to be equal; he could not pick a favorite and discard the other. So, all three were married and got along. To his credit, Father balanced both women very well; both could be exceptionally domineering when they wanted to be. Both woman were respected and were fierce warriors and strategists. They used their power and abilities to further my father's power and protect the kingdom. It surprised everyone when both women announced they were pregnant- mostly because youkai women don't go into season around each other. That and they weren't trying to kill the others child."

"It's wonderful that they didn't try to kill each other; that they got along." I murmured and rubbed at my eyes. A weariness had snuck up on me and it was very annoying.  I yawned, failing miserably at hiding it. Taomaru looked at me, surprise evident on his face.

"I must be losing my touch," he said. "I used to be a great story teller." He blinked, the green draining from his eyes and orange replacing it. He propped himself up on one elbow, looking at me in concern. "Lady Kagome, are you all right?" He touched my forehead then caressed my face. He frowned and moved closer.

I gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. I don't know why but I'm suddenly really tired." I blinked and it was hard to open my eyes after. "She isn't back is she?" I knew he'd figure out who _she was without an explanation. Taomaru shook his head no. I rolled on my side toward him and winced, immediately regretting the action. I lay back down and tried not to move. _

"Where did Inu Yasha ram you?" The wolf-dog demanded and I indicated the appropriate area. I told him the other side had hit a wall. "I'm such a dunce!" Taomaru muttered and began poking and prodding my side gently. Even though he was being tender, he still made me wince and grimace. "I think you got your lungs and kidneys compressed- I've possibly found a fracture among your ribs. Any or all of those could be making you bleed internally. Combined with the damage from your fight, I can guarantee something has been ruptured." He said when he was through. "And none of your moving about, etc. has helped the injuries you got from your fight." I heard him pause and realized I'd closed my eyes. "Kagome?" 

"Would explain why I'm coughing blood." I sighed and coughed, studying the red liquid on my hand. "S'funny," I babbled and looked at him, smiling slightly. "After we got used to each other and began our quest, I always though Inu Yasha would protect me while I was in the Warring States. We got really close, even with Kikyo wandering around. I saw them kiss once, when I popped up out of the well early." And here I laughed, because right now, it was funny.  It really was. I closed my eyes, absently wiping away the blood by my lips. 

"Shh, Kagome." Taomaru said as he lifted me up and carried me off to where ever. 

But now that I had started, I couldn't shut up- I simply had to share this joke, this wonderful joke that my life and decisions had become. "I caught them kissing after he had said he'd protect me, that he enjoyed my company. I forgave him and came back. It took me a week, but I came back to him and accepted him- his duty to Kikyo and all." I sighed, lying limply against Taomaru as he moved. "And now, in a fit of rage over nothing, my overbearing protector will be the one who kills me. I find that very, very funny."

"And sad." Taomaru added as we walked through another doorway.

"Very." I agreed. My eyes fluttered and the ceiling that I was looking up at blurred. My vision became spotty and then dimmed. _Hell, I thought foggily as my eyes closed. __ I should never have gotten over being sick. _

Sesshomaru watched the girl on the cot struggle to breath. His angry eyes flicked to his brother, who sat at Kagome's side, the hanyou's eyes never leaving her face. In one fell swoop, Inu Yasha had quite possibly killed any hope for saving the Western Lands. Sesshomaru had originally thought that the hanyou would be the one to help him. But after finding Kagome, Sesshomaru knew he was wrong. It was true that Inu Yasha was a dangerous opponent but it was all physical- what Sesshomaru needed was magical strength. 

The thought to ask Kagome was born after news that the Dark Army was at the border had reached Sesshomaru, almost two weeks ago. He had been planning strategies in bed, completely comfortable and nude beneath his covers, over looking maps and making notes as well as making mental lists of supplies and soldiers. Shortly after he began, the youkai had fallen asleep -something highly unusual for him- and dreamed that he was with Kagome and his brother and a wolf-dog youkai that was familiar somehow. When Sesshomaru had seen Kagome's full power in action in the dream, flaring out and destroying the dream eater, he had seen the answer to his problems. 

And now she was dying. Sesshomaru seethed, feeling his eyes change color. He rose, walked over and grabbed Inu Yasha by his shirt. Sesshomaru snarled. "I do hope you are satisfied, little brother. You have killed your mate and are taking us all with her!"

"Why do you keep saying they are mates?" Shippo demanded.

"Still saying that trash?" Inu Yasha asked. In disgust, Sesshomaru tossed his brother to the ground and turned on the little fox youkai. 

"Whether the idiot admits it or not, he has bound the girl to him- to our family. She can draw on power from Inu Yasha and now me, Sesshomaru, when she gets into trouble. All three of us are linked because the mongrel did a half assed job of the ceremony!" Sesshomaru roared. 

"There's no proof!" Miroku stated angrily. 

Sesshomaru touched the juncture between his shoulder and neck. "Kagome bears a mark in this area; it's the dog clan mark for their mates. Inu Yasha also shared blood with her. If the ceremony had been done properly and directed, he and the girl would be able to share power through their link. But the ceremony was not defined and because Kagome bit me and tasted my blood she and I are linked as well!"

"An unspecified link enables her to draw power from you both?" Sango asked. 

The youkai sighed at his unfavorable luck to be surrounded by idiots. "In the Dog Clans, each member marks their mate with a specialty mark- a variated pattern that states who the mate belongs too. Neither Inu Yasha nor I have claimed mates and the only ones who could truly explain it are dead so there is no one else to ask." The youkai dipped the end of his tail in the fire ashes, dusting them in a small area across the floor. Still using his tail because he refused to kneel before these simpletons, Sesshomaru grabbed a long thin piece of unused firewood and began scratching out a pattern of lines in the ashes. When he was done he pointed at it. "That is the mark of the Dog Clan, our family. It is also the mark on Kagome's skin. If Inu Yasha had done it properly, a second mark would be next to it or joined to it. Like this." Sesshomaru traced his personal mark in the ashes, connecting the two by a well placed line. "When I choose my mate, she will bare that mark somewhere on her body. With the mark, general or specific, one can claim to be related or joined to our clan."

"So Kagome has been marked with this one," Shippo pointed at the family pattern. "But because it's general and unspecified, someone could think that she belongs to either you or Inu Yasha? Wow, you must be pissed."

"You're lying. I bit Kagome while she slept that's all. There's no pattern and she and I haven't shared blood." Inu Yasha growled, looking at the others for support. His confidence faltered however when he saw the looks on their faces. "You gotta be kidding."

"When we visited, you two were asleep and had your hands tied together." Sango said and Miroku nodded. Shippo joined them looking more and more upset. 

"How do you know all this, Sesshomaru?" Kaede asked from her seat on the floor.

"I saw both when Inu Yasha had his hands up the girl's shirt." Sesshomaru stated flatly, ignoring the stuttering hanyou. The humans stared at the youkai then glared at the hanyou. It looked like violence would erupt until Sesshomaru got a kick in the head from his small conscience. The youkai cleared his throat, waited for silence and then began to tell them about the Dream Eater youkai. He did leave out some parts- like changing into a clinging child for one and guarding Kagome for another- but didn't swerve to far from the truth. With their jaws hanging in the wind, Sesshomaru began to tell them of the Dark Army that now threatened the Western Lands and his need of Kagome's and Inu Yasha's aid.

"Only someone with Kagome's talent and capacity can force the land to obey and protect the kingdom. With Kagome now dead, I must return to my castle and notify all the lords of the region." Sesshomaru's blank mask slipped away and everyone saw just how worried and angry the youkai was. "The Dark Army has already conquered the southern kingdom and that country's military was better. It is doubtful that we will win." And his expressionless mask slammed back into place as if it had never left. 

"Kagome's not dead!" Inu Yasha said fiercely. "She's a fighter and she'll win!"

"And what will be her prize, little brother?" Sesshomaru lifted an elegant eyebrow. "Her friends turned on her and her mate attacked her. She is as good as dead and has no reason to come back." Inu Yasha, glared at his elder brother, hating that everything the youkai said was true. "You threw her away once too often Inu Yasha, even when she bared her soul to you. As you stand there hating me do something constructive and think about this: You two have been linked for over a week and have not been able to bond properly- that is your fault. Kagome forged a link with me not four hours ago and she has been able to link with me completely, someone she despises. Why do you think that is, Inu Yasha?" 


	11. Taomaru takes charge

:;Swirly eyed:: Errr… bio tests….. ::Blinks:: anyway! Here's the latest chapter and I hope everyone enjoys it. Taomaru shows up so all of his fans- if any- should be happy. Also, if anyone is wondering who the hell he is and what relation he has to anyone… pay attention from here on out. You're going to get clues into his past and bits of the Dog Clan.  
  
Chapter 10: Taomaru Takes Charge  
  
The hanyou was about to tell the youkai where he could stick it when Kagome began coughing. Her temperature spiked and her skin paled; Sesshomaru was right, Kagome wasn't going to live much longer. "If you two are so well linked, why isn't your power healing her?" The hanyou demanded as he took Kagome's hand.  
  
"Kagome is blocking me and I can't get through. Why don't you heal her?"  
  
"I don't know how."  
  
Sigh. "You deny her at every turn and still hope that she'll always be there beside you. You are such an idiot Inu Yasha. Use that thick head of yours and crack open those blocks in your mind." Sesshomaru left, cold air blowing into the hut in his wake.  
  
Inu Yasha watched him leave, feeling extremely empty. He held Kagome's hand tight, as if he was her lifeline. Miroku and Sango took up seats by the bed, Shippo crawling under the covers and resting on Kagome's chest. The kitsune was crying, burying his face into the remains of Kagome's shirt. "Don't go, Kagome! Don't go!"  
  
I deny her at every turn. Deny her what? Kagome never wanted anything; she only wanted to be near me, for me to be nice to her. She accepted me and I accepted her, didn't I? Kagome had never complained about blood and guts, about the violence they encountered when she visited. The only thing she insisted on was being able to go home and take her tests. Inu Yasha thought about all the times he'd tackled her when she ran for the well, how many times he had tried to smash it so she couldn't go home and would focus on finding the Shikon shards. She had always agreed to be back in a few days, trying to be on time or early. And Inu Yasha had always yelled at her, called her names, and been a jerk. He had fucked up royally and hadn't realized it until now.  
  
Would it have killed him to be nice to her? To respect her feelings and decisions? To trust her as she trusted him? The last was a particularly hard pain to stomach; he had broken her trust and she had forgiven him long ago. But when his trust of her had been tested, he had believed the lie and attacked her, killing the very person he had sworn to protect. The hanyou closed his eyes and hung his head, listening to Kagome's labored breathing, the gurgling of blood as it slowly filled her lungs. There was nothing anyone could do for Kagome here- Here! Inu Yasha looked up sharply, an idea forming in his head. He silently tossed the wailing Shippo to the monk, picking Kagome up and holding her close to protect her from the chill air.  
  
"Inu Yasha! What are you doing?" Kaede paced him as he strode to the door.  
  
"No one can help Kagome here but maybe someone can help in Kagome's time."  
  
"We're coming too." Shippo yelled, Miroku and Sango joining him at the door. From the looks on their faces, none of them would be swayed. The hanyou refused to argue with them and walked out the door. He dashed up an incline and disappeared into the forest that was his name sake, the others right behind him. The Bone Eater's well was in sight when the ground under his feet shifted.  
  
Not now! We can't have an earthquake now! Inu Yasha tried to keep his feet, balancing Kagome as best as he could but in the end the hanyou fell on his ass and used his body to protect the injured girl. Sango used her bone boomerang as a support and Miroku followed suit with his staff, Shippo clinging to his shoulder. The ground continued to rumble, cracking and bucking underneath the party. The trees shook and swayed; Inu Yasha realized that they weren't moving because of the earth however, they were actually moving by them selves.  
  
"Miroku, the trees!" Shippo squealed.  
  
"Is it a youkai?" Sango yelled.  
  
"I can only sense one youkai and it's Sesshomaru!"  
  
At the mention of the dog youkai, the trees parted a few yards from the well and there, tied by vines and pinned by roots, was Sesshomaru in full dog form. The youkai was struggling to free himself but was not quaking with the earth. "Only the ground beneath us is moving!" Sango yelled because the wind was roaring now.  
  
"Nothing," Inu Yasha growled and climbed to his feet with a limp Kagome held tightly in his arms. "Nothing is going to stop me from getting to that well!" The hanyou leaped into the trees being hit by branches and attacked by vines. It was if the very earth had turned against him, punishing him for his moment of anger. Not that I don't deserve it. Inu Yasha though grimly as he dodged another attack. He roared, clawing through the trees with all he had. The vines wrapped around Kagome's form and pulled her from his arms.  
  
"No!" Inu Yasha screamed and made a grab for her. The vines and tree limbs wrapped around his body and jerked him away. He was slammed to the ground, right beside a struggling Sesshomaru, and was shortly joined by his traveling companions. When all were present, the ground quieted then stilled, smooth and green as if it hadn't been pitching for all it was worth moments before. The trees stood like silent sentinels, ready to attack if the party got free.  
  
"If you are all through," a voice said, drawing everyone's attention to a shallow gap in the tree trunks. A figure stepped out from the leafy gap, carrying Kagome's still unconscious form. Half in shadow, he held her close, as if he knew her and had every right to touch her. Inu Yasha growled then roared in anger.  
  
"Let her go!" he yelled and pulled against his bonds. Several of them snapped and he got his hand free enough to take hold of Tetsusagia.  
  
"Oh no you don't." the figure said. "I was warned about your fang." He made a cutting gesture and more vines wrapped around Inu Yasha until he was a mummy from the neck down. The hanyou saw Sesshomaru swing his massive head toward the concealed person, the youkai's eyes wide.  
  
"If you hurt Kagome, I'll-" Inu Yasha began but was cut off by a sharp unhappy laugh. The figure stepped out of the shadows. Sesshomaru paled, if that was possible and scrambled until he could attempt a sorry excuse for a bow. The big dog's eyes were averted, his whole posture one of submission.  
  
"What the hell?" Miroku asked, looking to Inu Yasha for an explanation.  
  
"Who warned you about Inu Yasha's sword?" Sango demanded.  
  
"Me? Hurt Kagome?" The green and gold robes figure asked, incredulous. "I think not." He shifted his hold on her, wrapping her legs around his front, her head on his shoulder. He used both arms, tucked under her rear, to keep her steady and comfortable. One red tinted bronze eye blazed at Inu Yasha- the other had claw marks over the socket where the eyeball had once rested. The figure's hair was chocolate brown, his tail matching the color. On the person's forehead was a mark resembling a tear drop, three stripes on each cheek were evident and he did look eerily like both Sesshomaru and Inu Yasha. He wore no jewelry, wore no shoes and looked more like he should be in a living room somewhere and laughing; that was what struck everyone first until they noticed his angry expression, the rage that made the air roil around him. He glared at Inu Yasha, his one eye boring into the hanyou until it shifted to Sango.  
  
"Kagome told me, actually." He said. "You're Sango right?" He turned to each of the trio, startling and unsettling them all by naming them accurately. He smiled at them and the vines that held them released and withdrew. "I'm Taomaru, a friend of Kagome's." The wolf dog youkai grinned at their stunned expressions. "I'd shake hands but I they're full at the moment." His mirth vanished when he looked at the two dog demons.  
  
Inu Yasha simply stared. "You can't be the Taomaru that Sesshomaru talked about- he's only seen in dreams."  
  
Taomaru smiled but not like he was happy. "And until an hour ago I would have bet money that you would have never hurt Kagome. Even when you decided to help you caused damage. Did you bother to feel Kagome while you held her tightly?" The wolf dog youkai walked over to the hanyou and crouched in front of him, still holding Kagome in his arms. He freed one arm, taking Kagome's limp wrist in his fingers and holding it against Inu Yasha's ear.  
  
"I don't have time for your stupid games!" Inu Yasha growled and fought against the vines. Taomaru frowned and a vine gagged the hanyou. "Shut up and listen very carefully, pup. Show me whose intelligence you inherited."  
  
The hanyou glared angrily, his mouth trying to work around the vine, but listened to humor the obviously insane youkai. Inu Yasha listened then blinked. He stopped working at his gag and paled. He had every right to because Inu Yasha heard… nothing. At such a close range, his sensitive ears he should have heard Kagome's blood rushing through her veins but he didn't. He refocused his ears on Kagome's body held by Taomaru. The hanyou only heard one heartbeat. Oh, my God. The vine muffled his sob. His ears drooped and he hung his head feeling tears well up and then slide down his cheeks.  
  
"Inu Yasha?" Shippo crawled closer, keeping a wary eye on Taomaru as he took back Kagome's hand. The kitsune froze when he saw the hanyou's face. "Inu Yasha, what's wrong?" Shippo began to shake, his mind putting the horrible reality together and refusing to accept it. The kitsune sensed the others draw near and look between the crying Inu Yasha and the still Kagome. Sesshomaru nudged his brother with his nose, whether to comfort or to make him stop crying no one knew.  
  
"She's dead." Inu Yasha ground out around the vine, raising his eyes and looking at Taomaru in horror. The youkai nodded sadly and the vines loosened and receded. Sesshomaru was freed as well and crawled over to the group. Inu Yasha did not rise once free, he remained sitting, starring at nothing as tears fell. Shippo joined him, wailing miserably. Sango fell to her knees, picking up the kitsune as she cried quietly. "We did this." She said softly.  
  
Taomaru stood and looked at the seemingly uncaring Sesshomaru. "No, mostly this is his fault. And when I have the time for it, he is going to pay. I give you my word." His voice alone promised worlds of pain. Sesshomaru bowed low, an interesting site on three legs. The youkai did not whine but awaited his fate with grace, and Taomaru smiled mentally. "Come nephews, we have much to do in the face of war." 


	12. One Trick is solved while another is pla...

Aieee!! ::dives for cover behind the 'I don't own Inu Yasha!' sign:: Man, you people are scary!  ::comes out of hiding dressed in armor:: Sheesh! Have more faith in me huh? Do you honestly think I'd kill Kagome off… this early anyway? Telling me I'm horrible and screaming threats will only make me feel vindictive and postpone Pt 3. I enjoy your reviews and the emails, which I try to reply to promptly, but this is not the best way to encourage an author to post another chapter!

::sighs and walks off:: This is almost the end of 'War,' by the way. Please enjoy it and its follower, 'Jumping Hurdles, Choosing Sides.' Have a good day.

Chapter 11: One trick is solved while another is played.

"How can you just ignore her death- especially when you claim to be a friend?" Miroku paused in his prayer and glared at the youkai. 

"When the Dark Army sweeps upon this land, Kagome will not be the only one to die. As it is now, she will have many to keep her company." Taomaru replied and turned around. "Sesshomaru, Inu Yasha; come with me and defend your kingdom."

Sesshomaru got up and obediently followed his uncle. Inu Yasha continued to sit on the ground while the others stood, resolute in their duty. The hanyou closed his eyes. "Kill me." He said and Taomaru turned around to look at him in surprise. The forest that had been righting itself stopped in its tracks. 

"Kill me." Inu Yasha asked softly, still seated on the ground. _Kagome… I killed her. I'll never see her smile, never hear her laugh. More tears flowed as he reviewed memories, both good and bad; ending with the crunch he had heard when he lashed out at her in Kaede's hut. __I'll never… I'll never be able to tell her I loved her. The last hurt the worst- shoved the knife that extra inch- and made him sob loudly. __No! I'm being irrational! Kagome wouldn't want me to die, she was the fighter for life, not death. That was Kikyo- Kikyo wanted me to die, to be dragged into hell with her. Kagome wasn't like that… She would want me to…_

"Do you really want me to kill you?" Taomaru asked seriously. The youkai had walked up to Inu Yasha and the hanyou, so immersed in his thoughts, hadn't even noticed.

Inu Yasha scrubbed at his eyes and looked at his uncle hard. "No. I'm being rash. Kagome wouldn't want me to die- she always fought for life. If I committed suicide she'd never forgive me."

A slow smile spread across Taomaru's face. "You show wisdom in the face of death more so than you did fighting. I'm glad you chose wisely." Taomaru shifted Kagome and put his hand on Inu Yasha's shoulder. The hanyou's ears perked up and zeroed in on the grumbled protests coming from Kagome's 'body.' His jaw dropped after Taomaru grinned at him and spoke.

"I would have hated to be the one to explain to Kagome why you were dead. No doubt she would have killed _me!" The youkai avoided Inu Yasha's rush easily, laughing at his nephew's surprise._

"You tricked us!" Sango yelled and took a shot at him, letting her boomerang fly. To her and everyone's immense surprise, Taomaru freed a hand and caught the giant object. Inu Yasha took the opportunity to attack and the youkai smacked him with the boomerang, using it like a baseball bat. 

"You all deserved it. Thanks to your lack of trust and haste, Kagome is seriously injured and could have died. You were right, Sango; this _is entirely your fault." And with that the youkai looked at them all and walked into the trees, leaving everyone to follow his retreating figure. After a moment, the rest followed him, approaching the well after a few minutes. Sesshomaru reached the spot first and the youkai started, looking around as if he'd somehow managed to get lost._

"I took a moment to rearrange things." Taomaru explained to his nephew. "For the next hour or two, your castle is going to be here- it'll go back to its usual place afterward."

"The earthquake." Sango said and looked at the castle now in her path. 

"At least the village and well are still intact." Miroku said, looking down the incline. Beside him, Inu Yasha shook himself and blinked. The hanyou looked at Taomaru or, more accurately, at Kagome still in his arms. 

"Give her here." Inu Yasha demanded firmly of his uncle. Taomaru raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not sure I can do that." The wolf dog youkai looked at him, tilting his head back and studying his relative. "I am using my power to heal her. If I give her to you, especially with no link, all that healing could be undone."

Inu Yasha growled, ready to charge the older youkai. Board, Sesshomaru walked inside his castle and shrank down to his more human size. He disappeared into a room and the party was left to itself. With nothing else to do, Miroku and Sango were about to follow when Taomaru held up a hand to stop them. "You two need to go back to Kaede's and fetch Kagome's bag. When the battle starts we will need the weapons she brang with her."

"Weapons? Kagome didn't bring her bow and arrows." Shippo said, peeking out from behind Miroku's shoulder.

"Kagome always brings weapons with her; you just don't pay attention." Taomaru stated confidently. "Go get her bag and bring it here to the castle. By the time you return we should be back with lots of equipment." The youkai paused, scenting the wind and scanning for sounds. "Youkai are coming. They should be here to help. Any warriors you find in the village would also be most helpful." 

About to demand what the hell was going on, Inu Yasha was stopped short when Kagome began to glow. The rosy glow was dim at first but then grew steadily stronger. It lit up the clearing and became a beacon. "Kagome…" Inu Yasha whispered, drawing close and looking at her over Taomaru's shoulder. The youkai did not seem affected in the least; in fact he smiled. At the sound of her name, Kagome shifted and blinked, looking around with blank eyes.

"Kagome?" Shippo asked, his voice unsure. 

Kagome blinked her blank eyes and frowned, tugging Taomaru's robe. The youkai looked at her, his head tilted as if he were listening to the silent girl. The light from Kagome wavered and then flared bright, rivaling the dawn rays just lighting the horizon. Another minute passed while the two concluded their silent conversation.

"Inu Yasha, you were like that when we visited." Miroku watched Kagome closely. Sango came up beside him, also studying her friend.

Inu Yasha started. "What do you mean?" 

"You woke up once when we were there and your eyes were blank. You didn't respond to your name, or being shaken, but when Kagome shifted in her sleep you pulled the blanket up again, looking around with blank eyes." 

"After that," added the kitsune. "You curled up around Kagome and went back to snoring."

"I don't snore." Inu Yasha huffed. What they said unsettled him but not nearly as much as Kagome looking around sightlessly. He walked directly into her line of sight, holding out his hand to her. His hand came near and her blank eyes opened wide, her body shrinking against Taomaru. 

"Hm…" Taomaru pursed his lips, frowning, and appeared to come to a decision. "Now that is interesting." He shook his head. "All right everybody- go do as instructed and report back to castle. We three will see you in a few minutes." The youkai resettled Kagome, ignoring Inu Yasha's pained look. He grabbed Inu Yasha by the collar and chucked his nephew down the well while the others looked on in shock. 

"Sesshomaru!" Taomaru called and the younger youkai appeared, annoyed. "Do not harm the humans and exert your authority on all youkai that come here. If they aren't here to help, dispose of them or find something useful for them to do. I would suggest you pull the old records and maps and also finding your battle gear. If yours are too small go find your fathers." Sesshomaru started at the suggestion.

"Father's?" 

Taomaru nodded. "Inu Yasha is too small to wear them. Please find something his size in your father's closet or possibly his mother's. Momaru should have had armor made specifically for her."

"I will advise the servants of the battle and have them find something for the humans who fight with us." Taomaru arched an eye brow at this, as did everyone else. "If all else fails we can always throw you at the enemy." The demon lord turned around and disappeared into the castle once more. 

"Wow." Taomaru said, truly surprised. "Where on earth did he get that mentality?" The youkai shook his head and jumped down the well, Kagome and all, after Inu Yasha without another word. 

Once on the other side, Taomaru leapt out of the well and motioned for Inu Yasha to follow him. The two crossed the increasingly sunny courtyard and stopped under Kagome's window. "We'll use Kagome's window to get inside. I don't sense her family around anywhere."

"How do you know this is Kagome's room?" Inu Yasha demanded.

"Kagome and I have been dream meshing on and off. I've seen her room in her memories." The youkai looked sidelong at Inu Yasha, eye turning bronze tinted lavender. "I know where she keeps her unmentionables as well." He laughed as Inu Yasha sputtered, face red. They leapt through her window, Inu Yasha having to use the tree outside her window before jumping inside, and then proceeded to the bathroom. 

"What are we doing here?" The hanyou asked suspiciously. He eyed the bathroom and looked at his uncle as if the youkai had lost his mind. "Neither of us need a bath and there is no way in all the hells I am letting you bathe Kagome!"

Taomaru sighed, and in a lightning fast move, crossed the room and gripped his nephews chin. "I am doing you and everyone a favor. Because Kagome still harbors… feelings of betrayal for you, Sango, Miroku and Shippo, she will not be able to help anyone when the battle starts. I am going to rewind time for Kagome, make her forget the past few hours and make her think she just got home from her fight."

"That won't work; she won't remember any of the important stuff or what's going on. She'll be demanding to be filled in while we get buried." Inu Yasha frowned, watching in surprise as his uncle stood Kagome up, her overalls falling down. The hanyou blushed and then growled when Taomaru began lifting her shirt. "I'll do that! I don't trust you yet!" And he snatched Kagome from Taomaru's grasp in the blink of an eye.

His uncle blinked in surprise then shrugged. "Kagome's perception of time will be altered." He continued as if Kagome hadn't been pulled away. He turned his back on the couple and ran water in the bath tub. "All of the events afterward will be blocked from her conscious mind and set to a trigger word of your choosing. This is temporary, mind you- you'll have to talk to her about what happened after we win. If she's come to terms with it, she'll probably think it was a dream or something. If she's still pissed, be prepared for a lot of 'sits' and tears."

Inu Yasha frowned, scooped Kagome up into his arms and began backing out of the room. "I don't know who you are, or why you keep calling me 'nephew' or even why Sesshomaru seems to obey you, but I don't care. I don't trust you- there's no way in hell I am letting you mess with Kagome's head." The hanyou made it out of the room as Taomaru appeared on the doorway. The youkai was frowning, his eye turning bronze red.

"Inu Yasha, you are being belligerent and stupid. I am Taomaru, brother of Momaru, former ruler of the Western Lands. I am your uncle and the Guardian who sleeps underneath our ancestral home." The youkai strode toward him. "I give you my word that Kagome will come to no harm, now give her here!" Taomaru lunged at Inu Yasha, showing more speed and strength than the hanyou anticipated. Inu Yasha's grip on Kagome loosened and her glowing limp body went flying, being caught by Taomaru effortlessly. Inu Yasha struggled to his feet only to be punched squarely in the face by his uncle. The hanyou was knocked out, his falling body caught by the youkai. Taomaru sighed and headed back into the bathroom with the couple. "Kids," he muttered angrily. "I'm glad I never got the chance to have any!"


	13. Preparations

::Comes in still dressed in armor:: Okay! This is the last chapter. Please keep an eye out for Divided We Fall Pt 3: Jumping Hurdles, Choosing Sides where (hopefully) all your questions will be answered and all mysteries will be revealed! Yay!!!! It's going to be about a week before I start posting so everyone hold on and be patient. Err...::scratches under her helmet:: I was going to include a teaser at the bottom from Pt 3 but couldn't decide what teaser I'd put up- At 80something pages, there's a lot of activity! Loyal readers be patient and review- I check the page constantly for feed back and am encouraged by it. Just DON'T threaten me!!!!! Anyway, on with the show!

Chapter 12: Preparations

I awoke in the tub, warm water easing the hurts away. I yawned and stretched, rubbing my eyes and trying to piece together what had happened. Had I fallen asleep in the tub? What was going on? I rinsed off and pulled the release on the drain, grabbing a towel to wrap around myself. No, I hadn't fallen asleep…had I? I climbed out of the tub, wrapping a second towel around my hair. I'd come home after the fight with the Hojo worshippers… and then climbed into the tub? No, wait; Inu Yasha had met me… and so had the dogs. I frowned, listening intently. Hey, where were the dogs?

I heard a groan from the floor and jumped, grabbing a bottle of shampoo as a weapon. "Inu Yasha!" I gasped and made sure my towel hid everything. "What the hell are you doing in my bathroom?"

"Getting acquainted with the floor!" Inu Yasha sat up, rubbing at his face. He blinked sleepily, touching his bleeding lip lightly. "Why am I sleeping in your bathroom?"

"Because you were exhausted and dozed off while Kagome was in her bath." Taomaru walked into the room, eye on the ceiling. I gasped and squealed. 

"Get out!" I roared and the two demons jumped in surprise. "Get out!" They scrambled out of the room as fast as they could, Taomaru dropping a bundle on the dry floor before diving from the room. I didn't know why they were both here but, dammit, I would not let them see me nude. I toed the bundle on the floor and discovered it was clean clothes, complete with panties and bra. How thoughtful, but the image of Taomaru pawing through my underwear was not a comforting picture. I frowned- one problem at a time. Since they were there and the boys were probably hiding in my room, I put the clothes on. Everything was light colored: faded blue jeans, light blue panties, white bra, pale pink T shirt and matching ankle socks. Taomaru had a flare for colors; it would be interesting if he had the opportunity to choose paint for a room or house. 

I towel dried and brushed my hair, my efforts going to waste because my hair was going to do what it wanted anyway. I left the room and went into my room; sure enough the two boys were in my room, looking at the ceiling. "You can look now." I sighed, my hands on my hips as I watched them impatiently. They both looked at me, cautiously, as if afraid that I was actually naked and waiting for them to seek a peek so I could beat them. When they were both looking at me I frowned at them.

"Now what happened? I met you on the steps with the dogs and now I wake up in my tub. Speaking of dogs, where are they?" 

Taomaru coughed and Inu Yasha looked guilty. The two looked at each other then looked back at me. Taomaru answered my questions while Inu Yasha simply looked alternately at him and then at me and nodded occasionally. "The dogs are in the Warring States, Kagome. After the fight, they kinda ran off. Sango and Miroku were looking for them when we left. As far as to why you woke up in the tub… Kagome, do you remember coming through the well with Inu Yasha after he bandaged you up?" 

I shook my head. "No. I remember coming home and meeting Inu Yasha. I had a tub and we took care of my cuts. That's about it. I don't remember anything else."

"Inu Yasha brought you over to Kaede's. The village was attacked by a scouting party for the Dark Army. You really don't remember?"

I shook my head again. "Hell, I don't even know why I can _see you outside of my dreams, let alone remember an attack."_

"Wow. You really did take a blow to the head." Taomaru sighed and rolled his eye. "Why I'm out and about is a bit difficult to explain. Basically, my humanoid form can walk about but I have less power. My wolf form sleeps under Sesshomaru's castle and protects the land with its power. Lately though," he paused, looking unsure and a bit worried. "The two are merging so I have more power and can walk around but using my powers can be draining."

Inu Yasha stood up and walked over to me, examining my head. He touched a spot near my temple and I shied away. "Ow!" I said and covered the spot with my hands. "Don't do that!" Inu Yasha hugged me, looking extremely concerned. I was shocked at his behavior and it took several moments before I could react. 

"I'm sorry." He murmured in my ear, holding me close. "After you were… hurt we were all really worried about you. Taomaru and I brought you here when you wouldn't wake up." I tried to pull away and look at my friend but he wouldn't let me go. I gave up and let him hold me, enjoying the warmth his body radiated. I smiled and blushed, then realized that Taomaru was watching us, grinning like a green eyed idiot. 

"How come you have one eye? In my dreams you always have two."

"This one," and he touched the claw marks. "was clawed away in a battle long before your time. As far as to why I have two in dreams, I think it's because I never got used to it. Remember, Sesshomaru had both arms in the dream mesh." 

I nodded then frowned. "Inu Yasha, you can let go now." The hanyou obeyed but kept my hand, leading me to the bed and pulling me onto his lap. "Inu Yasha, what's wrong? I'm okay now, everything's fine." It was as if he were afraid to let go of me- as if I'd break or something as soon as he stopped touching me. His arms closed around me in answer and I shrugged; actually being held was extremely pleasant but his radical change in behavior was freaking me out. I looked at Taomaru again. "Why did you put me in the tub?"

"Water is the element of healing. At least it was when I was young." He shrugged. "It worked, right?" 

"I guess…" They were both acting strange but we didn't have time for that. "We have a war to prepare for- am I the only one who remembers that?"

"No. We're going to need some stuff from your world to defeat them." Taomaru's eye turned bronze; a sure sign he was back to being serious. 

"What are their weaknesses?" 

"They don't like light but will fight during the day, same with loud noises and music for some reason; you can startle them but they fight fine in a battle. They're strong- they've already conquered the Southern Kingdom. Frankly, I'm surprised they haven't attacked earlier." Taomaru sighed. "Aside from that, a strong magic attack will chase them out but that's about it." 

I sighed. "We're screwed."

"Yup, so grab all you can."

Inu Yasha squeezed me tighter, his head resting on my shoulder and cuddling my neck. I petted him absently, scratching behind his ears until he purred. I kept talking to Taomaru as if nothing was happening- just another day in my bizarre life. "What about elements? Are they particularly weak against one, or do any give them energy?"

"Hmm…" Taomaru closed his eyes briefly and I could feel him sifting through memories. I mean literally. I blinked, stating in Inu Yasha's arms. "What's wrong?" The hanyou asked, hugging me tightly before easing the pressure. 

"I can feel him. " I said and looked at Inu Yasha and Taomaru, my eyes wide. "I can feel Taomaru- in my head." The youkai blinked his eye at me, staring as if I had just lost my mind. "You were just going over memories, past battles against the Dark Army fought long ago." I could see it all in my mind's eye like a movie from Taomaru's point of view. I got caught up in it as I concentrated on it, reliving it as the youkai fought side by side with his brother- tearing, clawing and roaring through the enemy; reveling in the intoxicating sensation of blood lust and power he felt. I slaughtered those who stood against me, laid them to waste in a second and rushed forward for more. My high was interrupted however, when one lucky monster surprised me and clawed out my eye. I jerked back, both in the memory and in reality. I was slammed back into myself- I was Kagome again and clutching my hands over my eye; the same one that Taomaru was missing on his face.

I shook and Inu Yasha held me tight against me. I lowered my hands, blinking the eye I had just relived losing. It was still there, and I was still in my room being stared at by the two Dog demons. "Oh my god…" I said, looking at Taomaru in wonder. "How- how did we do that?"

"I believe that the question should be, 'How did _you do that?'" Taomaru stated and I could sense him running through all sorts of possibilities. I frowned at him, about to ask what the hell he meant when I heard something that caught my attention. I turned my head, wanting to identify the source and suddenly I was not in my room anymore. _

"Sesshomaru-sama," Jaken said and I looked down at him, puzzled. "Why are these humans here? We do not need their help! You alone could defeat that army!"

I heard myself reply, but as I listened I realized that I was Sesshomaru being paced by the smaller youkai. I 'pulled back,' attempting to figure out what was going on. I could feel that Sesshomaru was annoyed- he was extremely not pleased to have humans running around his home, even if they were here to defend it. He was also annoyed with Jaken for being so irritating; the little toad youkai had been pestering him since he'd seen him. I looked out through Sesshomaru's eyes and could see the preparations for war. 

Sango was ordering young human men around, checking their weapons and chastising them for shotty workmanship. "Kill a youkai? You couldn't kill a chicken with this spear!" She yelled at a boy who looked like he wanted to hit her. Sango turned around and looked over at an archer and I felt a very quiet stir of alarm in Sesshomaru, in myself as I watched the rage on the boy's face. The youkai strode forward- I strode forward- leaving Jaken to stutter behind me and grabbed the boy before he could take a swipe at Sango.  The exterminator turned around, her surprise evident as she saw the way the boy held his fist and the spear held inside it. 

I/ Sesshomaru tossed the boy, watching coldly as he slid across the floor; we had tossed him lightly- he would be humiliated but undamaged. Sango stared at me and then nodded in thanks. I inclined my head- Sesshomaru did nod at anyone- and continued down the hallway with Jaken jabbering nonsense behind me. _Thanks Sesshomaru! I said and felt him turn around, looking for me. I felt his anger as he realized that I was in his head, felt him try to block me unsuccessfully. __Get out of my head, bitch! He screamed at me and I recoiled, holding my hands over my ears._

Gold eyes filled my vision and I blinked, backing up. "Inu Yasha," I said and touched his face. "I'm back again." I looked around my room as if it may disappear any second. When it stayed there I stood, looking determined at the two boys sitting on my bed. I pulled Inu Yasha up by his hand and then did the same for Taomaru. "Come on! I gots me and idea!" And I ran down the stairs and began packing. We were running out of time and had a lot to do.

By the time we were done, we were all being weighed down by bursting-at-the-seams packs. I left a note for my mom and family, explaining why the house was now missing its portable generator, all the lamps, the stereo, almost every CD in the house- those were only a few things; the list went on and on. I didn't list everything we took- didn't want to make them worry or anything. I left it on the table and watched as Inu Yasha carried more stuff through the well and into the Warring States. Because Inu Yasha could hop back and forth through time with no problem, he was playing grunt and ferrying things through the well. I had gone shopping, briefly, leaving Inu Yasha and Taomaru to pack. I prayed I was right as I jogged up the Shrine steps, weighted down with shopping bags filled with walkie talkies and batteries of all shapes and sizes to power all the modern marvels that were going with us.

Everything we had packed had made it Sesshomaru's castle- there was just a few odds and ends to go now. I beckoned Taomaru to come with me, into the almost forgotten garage that housed most of my dad's belongings, the stuff mom couldn't part with after he passed away. I hoped that she wouldn't be too pissed that I was dragging most of it through time. I flicked the lights, looking at all the dusty sheets that took up the floor. So many memories, so many old dreams that never had a chance to come true. It was depressing standing among them, tearing away their covers and baring the old boxes to the world again.

"What's that?" Taomaru asked, running his hand over the handles of my father's motorcycle. It was a 1975 FXE Harley, a trinket my father had picked up one day while visiting the United States.  Taomaru caressed the seat, smoothing his hands over the soft leather. Some nights, every now and then, my mother disappeared into the garage. I had asked her when I was young what she did in here and I always got the same reply. "Reminiscing." She'd say with a smile that was sometimes sad, sometimes happy. The motorcycle still ran, the leather always oiled, so I guess my father's motor head ways had rubbed off on my mom in their own way. I grinned as I touched the bike, reminiscing in my own way. Dad had loved his bike, as much as he had loved me and mom and Sota after he was born several years later. Memories of 'helping' my dad work on the bike accompanied me as I flipped the kickstand up, balancing the heavy bike as I rolled it out the door, the silver flame paint job flashing merrily in the sunlight. 

"Something I hopefully won't have to use. You can lift this right?" Taomaru nodded, looking at me with raised brows. I parked the bike again and went back inside the garage, picking and choosing boxes after looking at their labels. I found the gas cans, filled in case of emergency, and left them near the bike. When I was done I clicked off the lights, and picked up the boxes, carrying as much as I could while Inu Yasha lifted the rest. Behind us, Taomaru brought the bike, hefting it as if it weighed nothing. The two guys watched me strangely; a look that didn't leave their faces even after everyone and everything was in the Warring States. 

A half hour later, in the Higirashi home.

Sota Higirashi came home, his mother and Grandfather in tow. The boy was happy to be home but was unable to express it verbally. As soon as the front door was unlocked, he ran inside jogging up the steps to check if Kagome was home. He could hear his mother downstairs, calling his sister to the living room. No answer was forth coming- aside from the recently returned trio, the house was silent and empty. 

He poked his head into Kagome's room, hoping that she was just taking a nap and that was why she did not answer their mother. He was disappointed by the unoccupied room but alarmed by the state it was now in. At a glance, it appeared as if Kagome's room had been hit by a small tornado. Clothes were strewn about all over the furniture and floor. Dresser drawers had been pulled out and leaned precariously from their settings. The closet had been pulled open, displaying haphazardly arranged boxes that had previously been neatly stacked. Kagome's huge backpack was missing and Sota assumed that the destination was her doing. Her personal stereo was also missing along with all the CDs that were usually stacked around it. All her perfume bottles and make up were gone. 

Sota frowned and, on a hunch, went into his room. Sure enough, the ransacking had reached in here as well. He was relieved to see that all his special possessions and treasures had carefully been left alone, the path of pillaging only centered around his closet, and boxes of old sporting equipment. Some of his older clothes were missing but aside from that, his CDs and the equipment, everything else had been left alone. 

Still frowning and wondering what was going on, he went downstairs, stopping in the kitchen on his way to find his mother. Sota looked in the fridge, noticed they were out of milk and reached for the pen and paper on the table to write a message for his mother. He paused and read the paper, realizing it was a note from his sister. Sota forgot about the contents of the fridge and ran to give the note to his mother. 

He raced through the house and out the door, jumping up and down in front of his mother to get her attention. Sota shoved the note at her and took the small suitcase she was carrying away when she told him to wait. "Sota! What could possibly be… so… important?" Mrs. Higirashi stopped talking and read the note. Her father came over and read the paper over her shoulder. The three looked at each other anxiously and then went to the shrine proper to pray for Kagome's and everyone else's safety.

'Dear Mama, Grampa, and Sota (if you're home),

Sorry I missed you and couldn't say good bye properly but something important has come up. I won't be home for a while because war has broken out in the Feudal age. This war is different from the ones that mark this time- it's not humans fighting against each other this time (that would be too easy) it's a fight between youkai.

An army that has already conquered the Southern Kingdom now has its sights set on the Western Lands- the area Inu Yasha and I travel around in our search for the Shikon shards, the place where Tokyo will one day stand as well as our shrine. We've teamed up with most of the youkai in the area, including Inu Yasha's brother Sesshomaru. He's the ruler of the Western Lands and needs our help to defend them.

We've taken a lot of stuff from this age to fight them- Sota's old sporting stuff, medical supplies, and food. You may notice that all the CDs are gone as is the family stereo as well as the emergency generator. Mom, you're going to have to put a hold on reminiscing for a while- I took most of Dad's stuff with me. Sorry. I'll bring back everything, hopefully intact, and tell you all about what happened.

If you're wondering about the dogs, I brought them with me. I didn't know when you would all be back from the hospital so they had to take a trip through the well too. Sota, if you're home, I hope you feel better soon. Gramps, you better come up with more plausible excuses- if all else fails tell them the truth. The worst that'll happen is that they'll think you are senile. Mama, please don't worry- Inu Yasha will keep me safe. I love you all and will see you soon.

-Kagome

XOXO

PS. We're out of milk.'


End file.
